Knightmare Battle Tournament!
by RaiZero
Summary: Set in an alternate universe, the characters of Code Geass are brought together thanks to a game called Knightmare Battle! This mecha simulation game becomes very popular thanks to the usage of the fictional knightmare frames as weapons and the popularity causes a national tournament to be held which brings all the characters to Tokyo for the Knightmare Battle Tournament!
1. Stage 01: Masked Man

**Hello Everyone and welcome to a fanfic I hope I can keep up for a while. As of recent I have not been able to keep my promises of updating all other stories on my long list due to the fact that writing chapters on them require all sorts of data that I don't have access to when I'm on my days off. Fortunately, this story doesn't need the data I use for my other fanfics. As such I can work on this everyday from school during my lunch time which would be beneficial to both yourselves and myself. Since I spend my lunch in the computer lab anyway, might as well do something productive while in there, aside from reading manga. So I'll do my best to stay on this story as much as possible because thanks to the recent additions to the Code Geass Universe, I believe that a large story like this one is indeed possible. So wish me luck and please review!**

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**Babel Tower, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Friday, September 15th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

It's been one month since school had began and Lelouch Lamperouge was getting accustomed to his usual schedule. Which was regularly skipping out on classes to gamble against many wealthy and powerful peoples. However, this wasn't the case today. It seemed that Lelouch's long time friend, Rivalz Cardemonde, had something important to show him at the infamous Babel Tower. This building was known for it's underground activities, casinos, and it's infamous fist fights to the death. But that wasn't the important thing. What was important was that something _big_ was going to be revealed there and that it could economically benefit Lelouch if he attended.

Right now they were entering the underground parking lot, having driven all the way to the tower from school which took around fifteen minutes to do so. Once the motorbike and passenger car came to a halt, Rivalz took off his helmet and revealed he was anxiously sweating since he wiped some of the smelly substance out of his indigo hair.

Lelouch got out of the passenger car and looked at his friend and said, "You look as giddy as a child in a candy store.", as he revealed his own dark raven hair and stern violet eyes. Lelouch seemed to be annoyed that he would be coming to some presentation instead of another Chess game. Lelouch was looking forward to buying something online and he couldn't do it without the money he achieved from these illegal games.

"You'll see why I'm so excited. It's something you'll probably be excited for too. Well we'd better get going!" Rivalz said as he put their helmets into the passenger car's small trunk and locking it before they began to stroll towards the nearby elevator. They entered the lift and Rivalz pressed the button labeled, "80", and the elevator began to speed upwards. At first it was dark around them, but as they went higher the glass side of the tower revealed itself to the elevator, showing off the grandness of the settlement. Lelouch glumly stood against the rail of the lift as it continued it's climb towards Level 80, where this grand presentation would be held.

Once the elevator came to a halt, Lelouch and Rivalz stepped onto Level 80 which was a vast level. There were casino games being played everywhere as well as lounges and bars where numerous others had already made themselves comfortable. People in business suits, tuxedos, dresses, and even some bunny waitresses were around serving drinks to their customers. "Wow...alot of people came heard of it too huh? And look at those girls...they're so...hot...Hey! I'd like a drink!" Rivalz yelled out to one of the waitresses, leaving Lelouch alone in front of the elevator. The dark haired student looked around to see if there was anything of interest and he noticed a grand stage where apparently the attending people were flocking to and so he followed suit, hoping that this presentation wasn't anything foolish.

He stood among the crowd, standing for what felt like hours, until the sound of music finally interrupted his thoughts. Some song was playing and Lelouch recognized it as a popular J-Pop song that was spreading throughout the media recently like wildfire. It was by some band, whose name he couldn't remember, but he did know the name of the song was _Colors_ or something along those lines. As the song played, a man walked on stage, gaining the attention of everyone in attendance. His appearance was more than shocking. He wore a black mask with a purple orb in the center as well as a black cape that covered his entire body which had golden lining along the edges. His outfit beneath apparently was a Victorian styled outfit colored a dark shade of indigo with golden lining all over the outfit in similar manner to the cape. The lotus shaped mask was what caught Lelouch's attention the most. This person must have been someone important if he or she was hiding their identity. If he/she was a mascot then wouldn't it make more sense if it was being advertised?

The being spoke with a male mechanical voice that yelled out, "I AM ZERO! And welcome to my little presentation. You all who have received invitations to this little party will now be witnesses to something that will change the faces of this world as we know it and hopefully what we have produced so far will interest you all in helping develop our project which will more than likely benefit you, or should I say your wallets, more than anything ever before seen!" Zero joked causing some laughs through the audience of wealthy men and women.

"Thanks to the amazing simulation technologies used in the military which the JSDF was kind enough to let us use, we have managed to create a state-of-the-art simulation pod for the newest military simulation game ever to be produced. With developers _FromSoftware_ and with _Banpresto_ publishing alongside _Konami_, we have brought to you something that will never be upstaged! Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to _Knightmare Battle!_" yelled out Zero as he extended his left arm to present what appeared to be a whiteboard usually seen in schools being rolled out onto the stage by two men who wore casual jeans, white shirts with company logos on the back and caps.

"Thank you. Now since nobody outside of the project knows how this game will work, allow me to explain." Zero started out as he grabbed one of the black dry erase markers on the whiteboard. "Now the game is a battle simulation, meaning it utilizes simulation pods similar to the ones used for fighter jets and passenger planes." Zero began as he drew a rough sketch of a pod on the board on the far left and he wrote, "pod", in the middle of the square looking object. "Now once you enter the pod you will start the game and will be given up to four choices. The first is a _Single Player Mode_ which many lonesome people will probably play." Zero said bringing about more laughs. "Now the second choice is _Multi-Player Mode_ which allows you to battle either locally or online. Yes that's right. This game can be played with other people in other pods within the immediate area or online across the globe. Now the third choice is _Create-A-Frame_ which is my favorite. Inside of this mode you can customize your own knightmare frame using points you gain online. Now this leads me to another feature in this game. You can use special USB keys to store the data of your customized knightmare frame and your personal _Knightmare Battle_ profile so whenever you go to play the game, you can plug in the USB which will contain your personal data which are customized to your own tastes. And finally the last mode is _Settings_ which is used to change things like sound, g-force, brightness, and other things of that sort." Zero finished, as he noticed the awe of the crowd who were just amazed at such a game.

"Now another feature of this game, G-Force, is a safety hazard since it could harm the body. That is why at each arcade we will have varying G-Force suits to help reduce the effects and keep every person safe when they play this game and for those of you who are hardcore gamers, you can buy your own customizable G-Force outfits at our online store along with the USB keys. And now that the features and modes are out of the way, let us introduce to you the _Knightmare Battle _pods!" Zero yelled as the white board, which had numerous illegible markings all over it, was taken away.

And in it's place was brought a pod like machine which appeared to still be in production. The pod was rolled on stage and it contained a seat, controls, four monitors placed in a cross like position minus the bottom and numerous buttons and switches. It looked very complicated. After the machine was center stage with Zero, the men left and a monitor was rolled onto the stage next to the pod.

"Now this is the pod. Of course the final version will look much more professional compared to this horrendous machine, but it has the same basic principles. Now I will climb in and begin to play a normal single player tutorial while you all look at the monitor which will show what I'm watching." Zero explained as he took off his cape, revealing his fancy outfit which had more golden lining and he entered the cockpit, getting used to the seat as he did. And so the blank monitor turned on as did the pod and on the screen came up the words,

"Developed by _FromSoftware, Published by __Banpresto & __Konami, __Project Knightmare brings you..."_

**"KNIGHTMARE BATTLE!"**

And after the logo disappeared, the main menu showed itself, being a white military styled screen with the four options, _Single Player, Multi-Player, Create-A-Frame, _and _Settings_ in a vertical line. Zero selected _Single Player_ and activated the _Tutorial_. It then showed a head's up display or HUD, and on screen came words which were too far for Lelouch to see, but the words were read by a female voice. She said,

"Welcome to the _Knightmare Battle Tutorial._ I will walk you through the steps of piloting the _Humanoid Autonomous Armored Knight_ or the _Knightmare-Frame_ for short. This machine is a mecha type weapon which utilizes powerful weaponry which can be interchanged for any mission, making it useful for any battle situation. As such we want you to use the most basic knightmare, the RPI-11 Glasgow. This is the first ever combat capable knightmare. Use it to destroy all enemy tanks within the area. You can use the standard assault rifle to destroy them. Shoot the rifle using the left control stick. All buttons have been named according to the fingers over them. You can shoot bullets with the index button and shoot grenades with the middle button. You can also use the rocket boosted anchors using the thumb button. As for movement you can push the right control stick forward to accelerate and pull it backwards to reverse. You can also shift the left control stick left or right to move in those respective directions. Now destroy the enemy!" she ordered.

Without hesitation, Zero pushed his throttle forward and began shooting at his enemy, using the grenade launcher to destroy them. He fired bullets from one tank to another which was easy to do considering that the stage was nothing but a spherical zone with hexagons marking where the battle zone was. Within less than one minute, all of the enemy tanks, a total of ten, were destroyed. The tutorial was over. Zero exited the pod which was pushed offstage with the monitor and everyone applauded at his performance.

"Thank you all for your applaud. Now as you can see, it is a very advanced game thanks to the graphics used as well as the g-forces and real life physics used in combat. Now this marks the end of the presentation. I hope you've enjoyed yourselves and I hope you truly take the time to consider promoting our project! Thank you all and please have a great day." Zero finished as he left the stage with his cloak on his right arm with the audience clapping at the presentation. Lelouch was truly amazed at what he saw. He couldn't deny it. It was something impressive and was to be admired. But he didn't play these types of games so he didn't have that much of an interest in it. So he now had to find Rivalz so he could tell him off about being dragged to a game showcase.

It didn't take long to find the blue haired student who was drooling over some bunny girls who were trying to serve drinks. Lelouch grabbed hold of his friend's shoulder and told him, "Why did you bring me here? Video games aren't my concern in the least." Lelouch stated, annoyed to no extent.

"Well the thing is that with games comes competition and with competition comes gambling and with gambling comes money, at least with you. If you start playing this game you can start making more cash on your time off! It'll keep Shirley off of your back! She'll think you found a new way to preoccupy your time and won't worry since it's just us going to an arcade and then we'll do some underground games! How does that sound?" Rivalz asked, very pleased about his own logic.

"Well you do make a point. But I don't have even a tenuous grasp as to how to play games. And looking as to how he played it, it didn't look that easy. At least not for me." Lelouch said, not wanting to be dragged into something other than Chess.

"Well I haven't played the game either. It'll be coming out next week in arcades all over the country and by next month all over the globe! If we start playing the minute it releases you can play the tutorial and get used to the controls and then become an ace! How does that sound?" Rivalz asked, hoping his friend would agree to his proposal.

"Fine. I'll go with you next week to the opening of this game. But if I don't like it after playing a few battles then I'll go back to Chess and you won't do a thing about it. Do we have a deal?" Lelouch asked, not wanting any more arguing to commence.

"Yeah sure! I swear on our friendship!" Rivalz said eagerly, obviously happy with the agreement.

"Now let's get back to school. If we're late for Student Council again, Milly will make us do some physical chores or something again and I don't think my body can handle it to be honest." Lelouch said as he remembered the stacks of bricks she made him carry around the school for no particular reason. It made him wonder why she had bricks in the first place. And so the duo left Babel Tower to return to school and get to work in the Student Council.

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**Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Friday, September 15th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

"And now we're late." Lelouch said with sadness as they arrived at the school's parking lot. The two males jumped off the bike and ran towards the Student Council building as fast as possible to avoid being given a large punishment. Although they knew their fates were sealed, if they were anymore late than they already were, an entire fifteen minutes, then they'd get something worse than carrying bricks around.

However when they reached the Student Council room, they didn't get chewed out or anything like they'd expected. Instead the very upbeat student council president ran towards them and dragged them towards the computer where everyone was crowded around. "You guys need to see this! It looks amazing!" Milly, the attractive blonde, yelled out as they looked at the computer screen where Nina, a green haired girl with glasses, was sitting.

Rivalz looked closely and saw it was the exact same presentation that they attended earlier in the day. "We already saw this." Rivalz said, kind of sad that he was being dragged for something he'd already seen.

"How? It was just released on _Biglobe_ like three minutes ago! How could you have seen it already?" Milly asked, confused by Rivalz's words.

"Well we attended that presentation like almost half an hour ago. Lelouch and I went to Babel Tower to watch it." Rivalz explained, hoping he wouldn't get yelled at, which he was.

"WHAT? YOU NEEDED AN INVITATION TO GET THERE! HOW'D _YOU_ GET ONE AND I DIDN'T? I mean no offense intended, but we're the Ashford Foundation, we're almost like celebrities and how did you get an invitation when you don't have anyone with high connections?" Milly asked wanting to know how this was possible.

"Well I knew a guy who worked there, a bartender who have me an invitation. He was invited, but didn't want to go since he thought it was going to be boring." Rivalz explained , hoping it would keep her off his back.

"Babel Tower? Why would you go there? They have a bunch of criminals there! They gamble and they have those all out street fights there too right? Is that why you went there? To gamble?" asked Shirley, very annoyed that they would do that, especially Lelouch of all people, who was smart enough to not get involved in that sort of business and he did so regardless.

"No it was just because of the presentation, nothing else!" Lelouch assured, not wanting Shirley, the orange haired girl who was also a swim club member, to continue nagging at him. The sound of a door sliding open caught their attention and everyone turned to look to see that Suzaku, Lelouch's brown haired childhood friend and Kallen, a girl known for ditching just as much as Lelouch does, had finally arrived to attend their Student Council duties.

"Hey have you guys heard of that _Knightmare Battle_ thing? It's spreading around campus like wildfire. Everyone's getting so pumped up about it. I never thought a game could catch such a big amount of attention." Suzaku said as he took a seat at the table, gaining the attention of a gray haired cat with a black spot over it's right eye. It jumped down from a cat house in the room and had ran over to where Suzaku was and bit hard into his right hand. Suzaku yelped in pain, telling the cat to stop.

"Yeah we heard of it. Apparently Lelouch and Rivalz went to Babel Tower to watch the presentation live around thirty minutes before we could. Talk about selfish." Milly pouted, somewhat upset they had heard of it first.

"Well are any of you going to play it? I heard that if anyone participates in an online survey they'll get a special USB key through the mail with a special knightmare frame coded into it." Kallen explained, remembering what someone in the hall told them. "Oh yeah that's right. It's supposed to be some special knightmare with high stats." Suzaku said as he tried to get the cat to stay away from his hands.

"Well that sounds cool. We'll be going to the Oriental Arcade at the Omotesandō Mall in the Settlement next week for the release. Everyone else should come along!" Milly yelled aloud excitedly.

"Well we are actually busy next week." Lelouch butted in, trying not to get everyone rallied for his inevitable failures in playing the game.

"It's a Presidential order! It'll be a field trip for the student council!" Milly stated, wanting to ensure that nobody missed it. "Because if we don't go together, some people may have to do some track exercises with cinder blocks attached to their backs!" Milly exclaimed, very dangerously as she gave Lelouch a glare.

"Okay. I'll go..." Lelouch said, giving up without wanting to push his Student Council President any further for it may just end up in his demise.

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**Kawasaki North Academy, Kawasaki Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Friday, September 15th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

"Well would you look at that. Ryo, do you think this will rack in some money?" asked a sly looking male named Yukiya Naruse who had curved brown hair and green eyes. He was wearing a light blue uniform that consisted of a light blue undershirt, a short dark blue jacket with golden lining along the collar, dark blue slacks with golden buttons, and black shoes. He was looking at his touchscreen cell phone and was watching a video along with another male who appeared to be slightly older than him.

This one had brown spiky hair with brown eyes as well as a similar uniform with a maroon undershirt instead of a light blue. He smirked at the video they just watched and said, "You know it'd be easy to get money if we did some deals with people. Maybe put some of those USB things on the line. Let's do it. Hey Ayano are you willing to get in on some of the action?" asked Ryo Sayama who turned towards the table behind him where a girl sat swinging her legs off the edge of the table.

This girl who had the same uniform as the males aside from the pink undershirt and light blue jacket and shorts replied with a, "Of course. I'm ready for anything!" She turned to her side to look at their other companions and asked, "Are you two going to get involved this time?"

A blonde haired girl who had a similar looking outfit with its own differences. It was more of a dress than anything with black ruffles as well as a dark blue jacket on top of it and black high heel boots that ended at her lower thigh. She was reading a book, Sun Tzu's _Art of War_, and she briefly put her head up and replied, "Not in your illegal businesses. But that game, it sounds interesting." she answered.

"A game about killing each other with fictional machines. It _does_ sound interesting. What was the name again?" asked another male with blue spiky hair which was tied in a braid. He was wearing the same uniform as Yukiya, albeit with the jacket closed while everyone else aside from Layla, the blonde female, had their jackets open.

"It was _Knightmare Battle_. Are you going to play it, Akito?" Layla asked, curious about his decision since his choices could never really be predicted.

"Maybe." replied Akito, the blue haired man who looked out of the window of their school, Kawasaki North Academy, which was mainly consisted of a tall tower where the classes were held. He looked down onto the empty campus and couldn't help but wonder who else would play that game. And who else he could, _kill_.

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******Ichikawa Private** Academy, Ichikawa Settlement, United States of Japan

**Friday, September 15th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

"I didn't expect something like this to happen. I thought it was going to be released later on." said an orange haired male in a white shirt with a black tie and a red jacket which had black shoulders and arms. He also wore white trousers and black shoes. He sighed at the video he'd just watched, but he was somewhat interested in it. After all, playing video games was something he did every now and then. He turned the computer he'd been using off and he walked towards another desk in the computer lab of his school which was somewhat empty that day. He walked to where a orange haired girl was sitting and he asked, "Have you seen that video yet?"

"Yes, I have Orpheus. And to be honest I'm somewhat excited. I always thought that game was interesting and now that it's coming out, I can play against Maribelle and more than likely win." she answered as she looked up at her twin brother.

"But you won't be able to beat me!" yelled a voice with confidence. The twins turned towards the newcomer which was Leonhardt Steiner, a guy with long brown hair that was very wavy as it waved in all directions, primarily backwards.

"We'll see about that Leo. Because I bet I could wipe the floor with you." Orpheus said with as he looked at one of his and his sister's friends. "But Oldrin on the other hand will probably lose within the first minute." Orpheus insulted with a smirk which annoyed his sibling to no end since he's done that sort of thing since childhood.

"Well I talked to Tink and he said he'd also participate which will be very interesting to see." Leonhardt said as he pressed his back against the wall, leaning on it.

"Tink? Isn't he like 40 years old or something?" Orpheus asked confused as to why a forty year old would attend a private academy for 16-19 year olds.

"He's actually nineteen. It's just that his natural hair color is grey. I've told him dying it is a good idea, but he refuses saying he has nothing to be ashamed about." Leonhardt explained.

"Well ashamed or not, I can't wait to battle all of you. Because I know that nobody can defeat me." Oldrin stated standing up with her own smirk aimed at her brother and friend. She had determination in her eyes. To become unbeatable.

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**That's all for now! Was it nice or terribly awful? I think it's somewhat good for a beginning chapter. It was a pain to do the beginning though. I didn't know how I wanted the_ Knightmare Battle_ game to be played. Whether it be virtual reality helmet like in _Sword Art Online_ or just a computer game like in _dotHack_ was a hard decision. But I just did what _Cyberslayer-00_ did in his fanfiction, _Gundam 00 High_ and I used battle simulation pods similar to the ones used by the Air Force. But instead of using Gundam model kits to determine which mobile suit is being used, I decided to use the USB keys frequently seen in _Code Geass_ as a way of deciding who will pilot which knightmare.**

**Also if anyone did or did not notice, the companies I used to create the game are all real gaming companies that have actually created mecha games._ FromSoftware_ has created_ Armored Core_ while _Banpresto_ is responsible for the _Another Century's Episode_ series and Konami created _Metal Gear Solid_ and_ Zone of the Enders_ which is pretty awesome if I do say so myself.**

**Also it was difficult for me to keep Zero in character while presenting something like a video game so I based him off of _Minaka Hiroto_ from the _Sekirei_ series. So that makes Zero the "Gamemaster" for this fanfiction. Now aside from that, I did also include characters from _Akito the Exiled_ and _Oz the Reflection_ in this fanfiction since I thought it'd make it far more interesting if I added them in. But as you can see from the location informant in the upper left hand corner of each section of the chapter, they're all set in different parts of the country, but thanks to the power of the internet, I managed to place them in the thee prefectures surrounding the Tokyo Bay and the cities that the _Oz the Reflection_ and _Akito the Exiled_ casts are in are on the border of their city and the Tokyo Settlement which makes it much easier for me in later chapters should the characters meet in person.**

**Now for _Akito the Exiled_, I based their school uniform off of the uniforms for the W-0 Squadron from the OVA, albeit minus all of the military related symbols as well as military shoulder patches, boots, and those scarves they had. As for the _Oz the Reflection_ cast, their school's uniform is based on the uniform of the _Glinda Knights_ which was kind of hard for me to think of at first since Orpheus is in Peace Mark, a terrorist organization, in the series while Oldrin is in an anti-terrorist unit called the _Glinda Knights_. But since Orpheus' outfit looked terrible for a school uniform, I made the _Glinda Knights_ uniform for their school.**

**Now as for other characters that are part of the _Code Geass Universe_ that have not appeared in this chapter. I may put them in, such as Rai Sumeragi from _Code Geass: Lost Colors _or characters from the _Nightmare of Nunnally _series. We'll see in time if they can actually fit into the storyline, but depending on where I take this fanfiction, some characters in the show may or may not show up. We'll see with time. As for those of you who are UNAWARE of _Lost Colors, Nightmare of Nunally, Oz the Reflection, _or _Akito the Exiled_, I suggest you go to the _Code Geass Wiki_ or you watch and/or read material about these medias since they may play a factor in this series, more specifically _Oz_and _Akito._  
**

**Anyway thanks for reading and please leave a review or favorite, because it'd really help!**


	2. Stage 02: White Knight

**Hello Everyone! It's been a while since I updated and i do apologize for that, but I do hope you like this chapter since it took so long to write it. Just know that I am currently working on chapter 3 at the moment and that I will do my best to upload it as fast as possible.**

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**Oriental Arcade, Omotesandō Mall****, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Friday, September 22nd, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Today was the day. The release of the highly anticipated virtual reality arcade game, _Knightmare Battle_, which was showcased a week before by a masked man named Zero. And right now the entire Student Council was waiting outside of the closed _Oriental Arcade_ in order to play the new game. This arcade was crowded by many people and the workers of the arcade tried their best to keep everything in order, but it was difficult considering the high excitement throughout the crowd. Right now Lelouch was with Suzaku and Kallen. The rest of the council had gotten separated from them when they entered the crowd in order to get near the front doors which were scheduled to open at 3:00 pm and at the moment it was five minutes until the opening.

"So do you think coming here was really worth it? I mean look at the amount of people here. We may not even be able to get a pod." Lelouch said, as he calculated how many pods there could have been and how many people were looking forward to playing the game.

"I know what you're saying Lelouch, but if we don't try then we'll never get a shot. Attending it is better than not trying. Besides, the entire council is here so the odds of one of us getting a pod are high since all seven of us are here." Suzaku replied as he did his best to keep from bumping into people around him.

"And this is the biggest arcade in the area. There are sure to be plenty of open pods." Kallen added as she looked at the glass doors with determination, ready to run, jump, and fight her way to the entrance if necessary.

"I guess you're right. Let's get ready, there's only a minute left until the doors open." Lelouch said as he focused on the doors like Kallen did. Despite his low athletic abilities, he did have enough power within him to avoid getting trampled. Or, at least, Lelouch hoped that he did. And with that the glass doors swung open and the crowd began to stampede their way inside. Yelling and screaming filled the air as everyone did their best to get inside as quickly as possible. Kallen and Suzaku however, bulldozed everyone in their way like two angry bulls and this opened up a path for Lelouch to follow into the arcade.

Once inside of the building, the trio were amazed at what they saw. There were games everywhere. Classic arcade games like _Pac-Man_ and _Galaxian_ could be seen as well as more modern first person shooters and dancing games. But when they looked up, they could see all the other floors above them. The arcade was up to three levels in height and Lelouch could only guess that the upper two levels were the home to the _Knightmare Battle_ pods. Suzaku and Kallen continued onward, going up any flight of stairs they could find to reach the next level and gain a pod. Lelouch followed them as quickly as he could since the crowd of people that were flattened by Lelouch's two physically active friends were finally recovering.

Once up above, Lelouch was amazed at the amount of pods. The arcade was big and despite the big size of the pod he had seen a week before, these pods were more compact and they were plentiful as well. Lelouch looked for his red and brown haired friends and saw that Kallen had secured three pods for them and Suzaku stood there with what appeared to be clothes in hand. Lelouch went over to them and was surprised they got everything so quickly, but when it came to physical competition, Suzaku Kururugi and Kallen Kouzuki had super-like powers.

"So I'm guessing that these are the pilot suits?" Lelouch asked as he pointed at the clothes hanging over Suzaku's shoulder.

"Yeah, they all come in the same indigo color which is kind of sad, but maybe they'll have some special event or something. Anyway, the guy at the counter said that since we are the first three to arrive we each get our own USB drives to keep as a thanks from the arcade. Also he said that before we go and change into our clothes in the locker rooms, we'd better make sure that someone is checking up on our pods so they don't get stolen from us." Suzaku mentioned, frowning at the thought of someone having the nerve to steal another person's entertainment away.

"Yeah I guess you're right. Well I'd better go first. Then Kallen, then Suzaku, and then we can all play. Sound like a plan?" Lelouch asked as he grabbed hold of one of the male pilot suits and the earpiece that came along with it.

"Sure, sounds good. Now get going! We don't have time to waste." Kallen said pointing Lelouch toward the Male Locker Room where people were starting to occupy. As Lelouch walked toward there he noticed that a fairly good amount of people from Ashford were here. People like the guys on the Rugby Team, the girls in Shirley's Swim Club, and even the nerds in the Science Club. It was astounding that a game of this scale could attract this many people. Hell, Lelouch was sure that he saw a middle-schooler or two.

Once inside of the Locker Room, Lelouch was impressed even more. Rather than having to change clothes in front of everyone like Lelouch expected, there were plenty of stalls to choose from, giving complete privacy to everyone which was making Lelouch start to like the guy who thought of everything, the masked man called Zero. Whomever he truly was, he sure was a smart guy. Although Lelouch did find his grand theatrical movements a little too much. In Lelouch's mind, he would've toned it down a bit.

Lelouch entered a stall and locked it behind him, noticing that in the stall was a seat, a clothing rack, two full body mirrors and a step by step instruction manual of how to put on the suit drilled into the wall. Lelouch took off the top of his Ashford uniform and began to read the instructions as he folded his jacket neatly.

"This is a manual on how to put on the G-Force resistant, official _Knightmare Battle!_ pilot suit. In order to properly wear this clothing, you must ensure that the only clothes beneath your suit are undergarments. You must also get rid of accessories like watches, necklaces, bracelets, and piercings. Once inside of the suit you must zip it up the front slowly to avoid rubbing against the skin, otherwise rashes are likely to form. And finally, on the wrist is a small button which will tighten the suit around your body to maximize performance in the suit and despite the feeling of pressure on various body parts, you are indeed safe and should not be scared in any way." Lelouch finished as he laid his jacket on the seat.

"Seems simple enough." Lelouch concluded as he began to take off the rest of his clothing. Once he was in nothing, but his boxer-briefs, Lelouch began to think about what the manual said. "If it will tighten around the body then that means all muscles will be visible. If that's true then I should probably start working out with Suzaku in the mornings." Lelouch said as he thought about his upper-body strength. "I'm probably being paranoid." Lelouch concluded as he began putting on the suit. Once it was zipped up to his neck he pressed the button on his wrist and immediately the suit tightened around him, making Lelouch feel like it was squeezing the life out of his body. However it stopped to a point which allowed him to breath normally and his body adjusted quickly.

Now that he was ready Lelouch exited the stall and strolled towards the lockers and put his clothing into a locker, grabbing the respective key for it and locking it shut before placing the key into his suits pocket. With that finished Lelouch exited the Locker Room and returned to where his friends were. They looked at him in astonishment because of how amazing the suit looked.

"What's wrong?" Lelouch asked, thinking he missed something important.

"Nothing, it just looks cool. I thought that the suit would be normal fabric, but it's padded too. I didn't notice that earlier." Suzaku explained as he lightly patted the chest and shoulders of Lelouch which gave of the sound of a hard plastic material.

"Well I guess it's my turn. I'll be back soon." Kallen said as she took her uniform and left to change, leaving Suzaku and Lelouch alone.

"You know Lelouch, I didn't think you'd actually come with us. I thought you were going to leave to Babel Tower again." Suzaku admitted, knowing his childhood friend wasn't really into things like video games.

"Well I didn't want to, but after seeing everything I'm glad I came. Just seeing how much they put into it amazes me which only intensifies my anticipation for the game. I hope it's as fun as they're making it out to be." Lelouch replied as he looked over at the immense amount of people preparing the play the game. Over the loudspeaker he heard one of the worker's voice say, "Five minutes until the game begins!"

"Hey Suzaku! It's your turn!" called Kallen. Lelouch and Suzaku turned to look at her approaching and Lelouch was shocked by what he saw. The indigo colored uniform which she wore was extremely tight. It showed off Kallen's curvaceous body as well as her secondary sexual characteristics which Lelouch couldn't help, but stare at which he would avoid doing at school, especially around people like Kallen and Milly. But this time he couldn't help it and that earned him a slap from the embarrassed redhead.

"Stop looking at places like that you perve!" Kallen yelled as she turned her back to Lelouch.

"Well it seems this isn't going to go well. Just make sure you keep your eyes from looking downward, okay Lelouch?" Suzaku joked as he handed his friends their earpieces before going off to change clothes. Lelouch just stood in silence as he rubbed his cheek, thinking over his unusually perverse actions.

_"Should I say sorry? She'd probably tell me to shut up and forget about it. Should I stay quiet? No that'd be rude. Start some small talk? No, it's too awkward to do that right now. Why can't I think of anything? Think, think, think, think, think! Agh, dammit! Why are women so complicated?"_ Lelouch thought to himself as he waited for Suzaku to come back, which he finally did.

"All right, you guys ready to play?" Suzaku asked as he sprinted toward them.

"Yeah, let's start." Lelouch said as he walked to one of the pods. The others did the same and before Kallen entered hers Lelouch finally spoke up, "Hey, sorry about what I did."

Kallen's face quickly turned red again and she stuttered, "J-Just don't do it again. O-Okay?" Lelouch nodded 'Yes' and everyone entered their respective pods.

It was relatively dark inside after the machine closed, but Lelouch was able to find his way around and he put the USB key into it's slot which activated the pod. On screen came up the same words that showed up on the monitor a week before during the presentation at Babel Tower.

"_Developed by_ _FromSoftware"_

_"Published by __Banpresto & __Konami"_

_____ "__Project Knightmare brings you..."_

**"KNIGHTMARE BATTLE!"**

The white main menu appeared and Lelouch tapped the screen to select "Multi-Player Mode" and then he selected 'Local' just like everybody else since the 'Online' feature wouldn't be available until next week, according to Rivalz since he's been following the _Knightmare Battle!_ page on _Biglobe_ for the past week. Now he had to create his profile which consisted of a Username, Password, E-Mail Address, and Identification Photo. A keyboard slid out over his lap and Lelouch, who memorized usage of the keyboard, began typing without looking up at the screen. His information consisted of:

_Username: DemonKing_

_Password: Bologne1_

All that was left was the Identification Photo which Lelouch didn't fully understand until he clicked on it. Immediately Lelouch's eyes were blinded by a flash and a photo of Lelouch in a confused state popped up on screen. It gave him the option to accept or retake and since the photo looked ridiculous he decided to take it once more, this time putting on a serious expression and he saved that instead. He submitted the profile which was accepted and then he was taken to a Game Mode screen which had mutiple options, but only Team Deathmatch was available at the moment so he selected it and his username appeared in a lobby which showed 19 other users, excluding himself, as well as the previous, current, and next map for gameplay as well as options to customize weaponry, but since everyone was starting on level one, customization wasn't possible until points were accumulated through victories which resulted in more and more levels. So at the moment all Lelouch could do was look for any ridiculous usernames that he could affiliate with his fellow classmates.

So far he saw nothing he could compare to anyone from the Student Council until the names _CrimsonLotus_ and _Spinzaku _appeared. Lelouch could only smirk at Suzaku's username which had been coined by Suzaku's spinkick which he had used frequently to stop school fights. And _Crimson__Lotus_ had to be Kallen since that was her nickname at Ashford which she was proud of. Lelouch put on his earpiece and pressed the button to activated it, sending him into an array of confused and mixed up conversations which he did his best to ignore as he called for his friends. But his words weren't getting through, until he received an invitation to a private chat by Suzaku. Lelouch accepted which left him speaking only to Suzaku and Kallen.

"Alright everyone's here now. So, what do you think of my IP?" Suzaku asked Lelouch. At first Lelouch didn't understand until he connected it to Identification Photo and when he tapped on Suzaku's IP it expanded and converted to a high resolution picture of Suzaku giving a horror like face to the camera.

"I didn't think you'd be having this much fun with the game Suzaku." Kallen mentioned through the chat which caused Lelouch to realize that his childhood friend was finally having some fun. Rather than study hard like his father wanted, Suzaku was actually goofing off and having lots of fun with the game, without even actually playing it.

"Well let's just say that this may be something I need. Time away from school and home, if you know what I mean." Suzaku replied as he also became aware of what his friends were getting at. Under normal circumstances, Suzaku would just play the game normally, but today was different. He felt like goofing off and having fun. Especially with all the hard work of the Student Council and constant physical training he goes through on days off, Suzaku doesn't really have time to play games like this so he was intent on enjoying himself.

As Lelouch sat in the pod he noticed that a thirty second timer was finally reaching the final seconds before the game was to begin. On the top of the screen where the timer was located, words began to appear, saying:

_ALL PLAYERS. THE GAME WILL BEGIN IN 5..._

_4_

_3_

_2_

_1_

**GAME START!**

And with that the loading screen for their match began and on it an image of their map appeared. It seemed that they were being thrown into a war torn city with smoke rising from various locations. The name of this map was: Shinjuku Ghetto, and on the bottom of the screen it displayed various tips for new gamers.

The screen disappeared and it was replaced by the Heads Up Display, HUD, which had a mini-map in the lower-left corner, as well as the amount of bullets, grenades, speed, and damage percentage in the lower-right. Aside from that, their was a small area in the upper-left which would show who was speaking. And with that all in mind, Lelouch prepared himself for the game to begin as the countdown from 10 neared the final number slowly. The game began and various people sped off toward different directions, trying to get used to the controls.

Lelouch noticed that Kallen was by his side and that she was piloting a Glasgow just like everybody else, but hers was of a red tinted color which reminded Lelouch of the Create-A-Frame feature which he should have taken advantage of.

"Nice Glasgow. Now where are you Suzaku?" Lelouch asked. He received no response and he was slightly concerned. "Suzaku? Hey why aren't you answering? Is something wrong?" Lelouch asked as he pushed the right control stick forward to accelerate. The sudden burst of speed sent Lelouch crashing into a wall of an abandoned building, causing Kallen to begin laughing loudly. "Don't laugh. I bet you can't control yours either." Lelouch said, slightly embarrassed by his actions.

"Well unlike you, I don't go jumping into things. Learn to take things slowly Lelouch." Kallen replied as she pushed her throttle forward, albeit slower than Lelouch did. She began to navigate her way around the map and Lelouch did his best to keep up while avoiding buildings and other obstacles like vehicles and the sort.

"Alright, I bet you didn't take the time to read up on some features of this game, so I'll help you out. Since Rivalz didn't stop bothering me about the game I learned a thing or two." Kallen began explaining before Lelouch could ask why she was avoiding where the action was. "I found out that you can locate an allied unit by typing their username after touching the mini-map. And according to the map he should be somewhere around here." Kallen said as she looked at the allied blip on the map which said that Suzaku was in a warehouse.

"How do we get in?" Lelouch asked looking at the closed door before him.

"Shoot it open obviously." Kallen replied, annoyed that the genius of Ashford couldn't comprehend that in an action game, you needed to blow things up.

Lelouch aimed at the door with his Glasgow's standard issue rifle and he shot off a grenade, obliterating the doors. They entered the building and Kallen activated her machine's factsphere sensors using another of the games features, which was thermal vision. She could see his knightmare through the smoke and she called out for Suzaku after verifying his username above his machine.

"Suzaku? Why aren't you answering us?" Kallen asked annoyed that he hadn't said a word since the match began.

"Oh, sorry about that, I was just learning some things about this new knightmare." Suzaku answered, much to Lelouch's happiness since he was concerned the game had done something to his friend.

"What new knightmare?" Kallen asked, confused by his choice of words. The only knightmares available at the moment to anyone playing the game was the Glasgow. Instead of answering Suzaku just decided to show them what he was talking about. Suzaku pushed his throttle forward and from the warehouse came out his knightmare, which was completely different from all other knightmares that anyone had ever seen.

It was white and gold with a sleek design and no visible similarities between itself and other machines. This knightmare had an actual head with green eyes and horn instead of a factsphere sensor and he also had what appeared to be some sort of small shield on the forearms, two sheaths on the cockpit of the knightmare and a blue colored rifle in the rifle slot below the cockpit.

"What the hell? Suzaku where did you get that?" Kallen asked confused by what she was looking at.

"It said I was the 100th player who logged in so it gave me a prize. It said it was a special knightmare for my usage alone. It's called the Z-01 Lancelot. It's a Seventh Generation Knightmare Frame." Suzaku answered as he gave them all information he had.

"Seventh Generation? But the farthest generation at the moment is the Fifth Generation Gloucesters." Lelouch said as he remembered all the details he heard from Rivalz throughout the week.

"Well I guess they're releasing new knightmares as special events. Now that I have it I want to learn how to use it effectively. And since I'm not much of a tactician, I'll be depending on you Lelouch to tell me where to go." Suzaku said, knowing full well he couldn't fight without help.

"What? But I'm not a commander. How am I supposed to tell you where to go without a proper layout of the map?" Lelouch asked as he tried to avoid such a responsibility.

"Well you do have a map that you can put into fullscreen. And you can go hide somewhere with me as your bodyguard while Suzaku goes and rips up the enemy team. So come on, let's do it!" Kallen said cheerfully, liking the idea Suzaku gave.

"All right then. Kallen, follow me, we'll be going to an abandoned skyscraper near our spawn point. Suzaku, you need to be ready to fight at a moment's notice. I'll let you know when to go." Lelouch said as he began driving off with Kallen in tow.

"Also, we'll need to change over to the public chat to let our allies know what we're up to. So let's get into the action." Lelouch said as he pressed on the chat and switched it to public. He could hear the voices of his allied team giving orders, asking for assistance, and yelling like blood hungry warriors. Lelouch could only smirk at what the game did to everyone. It made them become a different person, obviously.

But before Lelouch could give orders he needed to get to the highest level possible. But as they went toward the tallest structure in Shinjuku, a small group of three enemy Glasgow units met them. "Damn! I didn't want to meet the enemy this soon." Lelouch said as he avoided their line of fire by hiding behind a wall. Kallen on the other hand went forward, doing her best to avoid their bullets as she fired back her slash harkens at the chests of the enemy Glasgows. She managed to hit one of the enemy units, in turn destroying it and leaving a 'Lost' signal on the radar where it used to be. This left two, one of which Kallen had rammed into at full speed, sending the knightmare back a good couple of yards on it's back.

Seizing the opportunity given, Lelouch came back into combat and fired upon the standing Glasgow, which ejected before the knightmare was completely destroyed. "Damn. I was hoping I could get a kill." Lelouch muttered as he refocused on the remaining knightmare.

Pilots that ejected could respawn into a new Glasgow immediately, while pilots who were killed in action had to wait a period of five minutes before heading back into the action. This gave people the opportunity to catch a breather if needed and it made the game a little more realistic since it decreased the amount of enemy units depending on how many you killed.

And luckily for them, Kallen had killed two out of the three. "Good job. Now we have to get up top. Once we do, I'll need to contact Suzaku and give him instructions. Just keep me covered." Lelouch said as he looked up at the skyscraper. He aimed his machine's slash harkens as high as he could get them and fired off the rocket propelled anchors which hooked themselves into the side of the building about halfway up. Lelouch then reeled them in, resulting in his knightmare being pulled up. While Lelouch went up, Kallen circled around the tower to make sure nobody interrupted his climb. Unfortunately, they weren't the only deadly ones in the game.

* * *

The orange haired Orpheus Zevon took a trip to the Tokyo Settlement to see his girlfriend, a beautiful girl named Euria who attended Ashford Academy. After visiting her and spending a great amount of time together at the mall, she went home after a successful date leaving her boyfriend to wander around the shopping mall. And something caught his eye, the Oriential Arcade which was one of many that had recently gotten the new _Knightmare Battle!_ gaming pods and since he knew his friends were going to play the game at the Grandberry Arcade, he decided to play the game himself so he could challenge them once getting back.

Orpheus couldn't help, but smirk as he defeated his enemies without mercy. Although some did manage to get away, it didn't matter, because all it meant was that there were more to fight and competitive gaming was his style.

As he sped through the ruined ghetto named Shinjuku he noticed something strange. An enemy blip was constantly circling the same structure, encountering enemies every now and then, but each time defeating them and another blip appeared to be standing still near the moving one. Orpheus turned his customized white and light blue Glasgow in the direction of the enemy blip and noticed that it was circling the tallest building in the area.

_"Hmm. What could you be up to?"_ Orpheus thought as he continued toward the enemy. When he arrived at the area he saw a red colored Glasgow come around the corner and it began shooting at him, which he avoided quickly by reversing into a nearby shop. After the rain of metal stopped Orpheus kicked it into full speed and went after his enemy. He aimed his rifle at the speeding Glasgow and began to fire at the legs, hoping he could get a chance to speak with its pilot thanks to the option to speak with enemies on an open channel.

As the bullets flew through the air toward the Glasgows legs, the enemy pilot swerved in a zig-zag pattern to avoid the incoming projectiles. It immediately turned around and aimed it's rifle at Orpheus' unit, firing off the grenade launcher toward his machine, which he barely avoided. However the explosion behind him caused by said grenade resulted in his machine falling forward, ironically, much like he intended to do to his opponent.

The red Glasgow then stopped fleeing and came toward Orpheus' downed machine and the enemy pilot opened up an open line with Orpheus. "You didn't eject. Why?" asked the female voice, surprising Orpheus slightly, but he answered regardless.

"Why should I? My defeat was imminent. Why should I run away and try fighting again when it is clear you are the superior pilot?" Orpheus asked, wondering what the girl would say to his logic. Knowing his sister she would say that he is a fool and that he should take every chance to fight once more to become the victor.

"I see. Looks like you aren't an idiot who repeatedly tries to win, like these guys who kept coming back here. Well it doesn't matter because for right now we're enemies. Maybe someday we can be on the same team." she said before aiming her rifle at Orpheus' cockpit.

"Yeah, I'd like that, _CrimsonLotus_." said Orpheus with a smile as he awaited his defeat.

"I'll see you around, _WhiteFlame_." said Kallen before pulling the trigger and defeating her enemy, making it her tenth kill so far. She was doing very well at fighting off the incoming enemies, most of which were stubborn guys who wouldn't give up on trying to defeat her in battle. _  
_

"Alright, I'm in position Kallen. Keep up the good work. Suzaku, are you there?" Lelouch asked over the radio after hiding his Glasgow in the shadows of one of the top floors.

"I'm here and ready to launch. Just give the signal." Suzaku answered as he did his best to avoid enemy contact and keep his machine out of sight.

"Alright. Allied units, prepare to attack! It will lead the way toward the enemy spawnpoint. Be sure to avoid combat until the amount of enemy units has been reduced, but be sure to assist should the situation turn dire." Lelouch said over his teams public radio, reciveing many sounds of approval.

"All right then. Suzaku, begin the attack. Go to point B-4 and attack the incoming enemy force consisting of four units. Be sure to use as little weapons as possible so they won't know what we have up our sleeve." Lelouch ordered as he saw Suzaku's blip move toward the designated spot.

The white knightmare sped through the battlefield at top speed. After arriving at the proper location, it saw the enemy units and began the fight. The Glasgows opened fire upon the Lancelot, but Suzaku managed to manuever through the fire and avoid being hit. Suzaku got into close range with the closest enemy he could find and he sliced through the chest of the Glasgow with his machines forearm mounted slash harken which was different from others, being sharpened to a tip.

The other Glasgows tried reversing to gain some distance between themselves and the Lancelot, but to no avail as the white knightmare was far to quick to be evaded by a Fourth Generation Knightmare frame. The Lancelot fired a harken at one of the Glasgows and once the cable wrapped around the unit Suzaku pulled the controls to throw the machine into it's allied unit, leaving both of them disoriented. Seizing the opportunity, Suzaku revealed his machine's blue colored Variable Ammunition Repulsion Impact Spitfire Rifle, or the VARIS Rifle which fired off a green shot of energy at the two downed units, destroying both.

"There are reinforcements coming in at your three o'clock. There are five of them in total, so watch out." Lelouch informed Suzaku who was quick to notice the enemy coming around the corner of a building. He put the VARIS Rifle back into it's original position in order to bring out a Maser Vibration Sword or the MVS which was capable of cutting through any known material to date.

As the enemy closed in on Suzaku, he immeadiately began slicing up the enemy through the chests of their knightmares. Suzaku vertically sliced through two Glasgows which tried to attack head on and they were destroyed in seconds. This left three more, two of which tried flanking Suzaku while one shot from afar. The Lancelot fired it's hip mounted slash harkens at the two flanking units, hitting them in the waist region where the Yggdrasil Drive was located resulting in their desctrution. This left the final Glasgow which began retreating toward it's remaining allied units located at their spawn point, which was down to three enemy units.

"All forces head in at full speed! There are only two minutes remaining in the game and we have a higher score than the enemy! Destory all enemies and continue fighting until the game is over!" Lelouch yelled as he heard the cries of his allied units going in to fight the enemy without mercy. The Lancelot had done considerable damage to the enemy which had ensured their victory.

* * *

The game was over and Lelouch exited his pod as did everyone who was playing the game. Lelouch had sweat going down his brow since the game had taken a small toll of physical stress on his body, despite spending more time giving commands than actually fighting. The rave haired boy looked over at the pods containing his afriends Kallen and Suzaku and he saw that they exited as well with them being just as tired as he was, probably more so. They gave Lelouch a smile showing their happiness in their first victory.

"Congratulations! You, _Spinzaku_, have used the Z-01 Lancelot very effectively!" yelled out a voice all too familiar to Lelouch. They turned their attention to the source and saw that the masked and caped man, Zero, was among them. "You were the 100th user to sign in and as such you recieved these prizes!" Zero stated as he snapped his fingers. One of the arcade customers, a guy with brown spiky hair walked toward Suzaku and gave him a breifcase which he opened to see that inside was a white and gold pilot's uniform and a custom made USB key colored a metallic gold as well. "These are standard for the pilot of the Lancelot. Just know that overtime as the game continues to update, your knightmare will be available for customization, but only to you. Meaning that this machine is something nobody else will ever have. However, more and more promotional knightmares which will indeed be custommade for events like this will be released and you'd better hope you are the lucky person to recieve a new knightmare!" Zero yelled his words silencing everyone in the arcade.

"So you're saying more and more special events will be held and customized knightmares will be released to one person at the event?" Lelouch asked, wanting specificity.

"Of course! Otherwise the event wouldn't be special. So be sure to pay close attention to what's going on when it comes to _Knightmare Battle!_ or you may just miss something important!" Zero finished as he began taking his leave. "I'll be seeing you around, Suzaku Kururugi." Zero said at the last moment before disappearing down the stairs.

This left the people in the arcade exited as they began to talk amongst themselves, wondering what the next special event knightmare could be. This also left Suzaku slightly concerned. "What's wrong Suzaku? I thought you'd be more happy about what just happened." Kallen said knowing that she would have been excited as she could be to have recieved such a gift.

"You don't see it do you Kallen? Suzaku will now be the subject of gossip at school and the prey to those who want his knightmare. And then thanks to the high popularity of the game, Suzaku's position as the first owner of a special event knightmare will spread like wildfire and it's possible his father will find out." Lelouch explained sternly as he thought about Suzaku's father who was one of the strictest and most disciplanary people Lelouch has ever met.

Suzaku continued to look out into space as the thought of his father's wrath entered his mind. Genbu Kururugi, former Pime Minister of Japan seven year ago during the Oriental Incident who is still a major political figurehead in Japan, despite not being the Prime Minister anymore. If news got out that the sucessor to Genbu's legacy was spending his time playing games rather than studying for things like politics, then his father's reputation could be tainted and the result would not be a good one, at least not in his father's eyes.

"I'll handle it later. I don't think he'll be all mad. Hopefully I can get him to understand that this was nothing more than a one time thing." Suzaku said as he thought about multiple ways to convince his father to not worry over such a thing.

"Wait, you're not going to play anymore?" Kallen asked in shock, expecially after Suzaku's grand performance in the game.

"I don't know. It's very possible. We'll just have to wait and see." Suzaku answered as he began walking towards the Locker Rooms with Lelouch following his lead.

"Hey you! Kururugi!" yelled out a voice. Suzaku and Lelouch stopped and turned to see who was calling out to him and standing there was the spiky brown haired man who was working the second floor of the arcade. He wore an official Oriental Arcade Staff shirt which was colored white with a red circle over the left chest as well as the name 'Oriental' on the back of the shirt. The rest of his outfit was nothing, but jeans and boots.

"What is it?" Suzaku asked, hoping he wasn't in any trouble.

"My name's Tamaki and I saw your battle on one of those screens on the wall over there and I gotta say, you're really impressive man! Hopefully one of these days you and I can have a match!" said Shinchiro Tamaki who was giving Suzaku an overconfident smile and thumbs up for his excellent fighting skill in the game.

"Thanks. Maybe we will." Suzaku answered before continuing on into the Locker Room with Lelouch to revert to his Ashford uniform. In Lelouch's mind, he couldn't help, but think that Suzaku was lying. That he wouldn't convince his father otherwise. That he would give up on the game and the one thing that could possibly give him some joy during his school career. Maybe Suzaku was just saying that to make his friends feel better so that he wouldn't worry them over the one-sided arguement he would have with his father.

* * *

**Zevon Mansion, Ichikawa Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Friday, September 22nd, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Orpheus was exhausted. He had spent an entire day ditching his school so he could see his girlfriend, Euria, and after their 8 hour date had ended, he had decided to play _Knightmare Battle!_ at an arcade and he even got his ass handed to him. That was something he couldn't deny. Now all he could do was try his best to keep going so he could get to his bed. He had just entered his home, the Zevon Mansion, which belonged to his mother who was currently away on business in Britannia with his uncle Oiaguro. Luckily for Orpheus he wouldn't have to return to his home to find his mother angry with him about ditching school. However he would come home to his sister who would be just as annoyed over his carelessness for his education. In reality it wasn't that he didn't care, but he just didn't want each day to be the same repeatedly throughout the year. So he took days off to go to other places in the settlement or to nearby cities to have some adventure in his life, much like today.

But regardless of that, the wrath of his family would still fall upon him. "Orpheus! Why didn't you show up to school today?" Oldrin yelled out from the top of the balcony overlooking the staircase.

"Why do you care? My grades aren't as low as you think they are." Orpheus responded, trying his best to walk up the stairs despite his exhaustion.

"I don't care about your grades. Rather I'd prefer that you failed so I can be seen as superior to you. What I want to know is why you didn't come with us to the Tsuinzu Arcade? We were playing that new game, _Knightmare Battle!_ and you weren't there! I wanted to destroy you in battle!" Oldrin yelled out with her fist held up shwoing her resolve to gain a victory over her older twin brother.

"Well I went to Tokyo to see Euria. And on my way back I went to the Oriental Arcade to play the game and I went up against some amazing stuff." Orpheus explained.

"Oriental? That can't be! Are you saying you fought the Lancelot?" Oldrin asked with pure shock splattered across her face. Fighting against the first special event knightmare was a true honor and must have been an amazing experience to see such a powerful one-of-a-kind knightmare in combat.

"That's right. I fought the Lancelot as well as someone else. Some girl who piloted a red Glasgow. Whoever she is, she sure did have some talents." Orpheus stated as he arrived at the top of the stairs. "But how did you know about the Lancelot? Oh wait...let me guess. Zero announced it on Biglobe didn't he?" Orpheus asked, somewhat confused that such news could spread so quickly.

"Yeah he did. He made a promotional video showing off the Lancelot and I was hoping it was some form of download, but he said it was a one time thing and was only released in Tokyo to one person. But that doesn't mean there won't be more." Oldrin said with a smirk, hoping she would be the next lucky one to get a special event knightmare.

Orpheus couldn't help, but wonder if he could gain such a weapon as well. If he could become the winner of some contest of the lucky thousandth player he could probably become the next owner of a special event knightmare. But the odds were definitely not in his favor. Regardless, Orpheus decided he would keep his eyes open and his ears active in order to gain wind of another event like this one.

* * *

**So I'm surprised I managed to update this chapter. Normally it takes months for me to do so considering I have lots of work regarding school. However things have been going smoothly and I've been constantly writing during my freetime in my school's library which is very fortunate. I have a feeling this story will definitely continue being updated. Also know beforehand that in the future some chapters may or may not focus on certain characters. The first chapter was focused more around the Ashford Student Council with the casts from _Oz the Reflection_ and _Akito the Exiled_ being thrown in there as a cameo appearance so you'd know that they were present. But that doesn't mean I'll be writing about all of them in each chapter, like in this one which featured Orpheus and a small portion of the Ashford Student Council. So watch out for that.**

**Also I don't know if you knew this, but this chapter was mainly based around the Shinjuku Incident, however, this time the Lancelot was on Lelouch's side giving him the edge and winning the battle. Kallen also had her red Glasgow like in the original series. Also for those of you familiar with _Oz the Reflection_, I did showcase Orpheus' blue and white colored Glasgow in here. Just know that in order to better understand everything, it'd be best to check out the official Code Geass Wikia to look up each character, their background stories, and knightmare frames.**

**Also for those wondering about Suzaku's relationship with his father, Genbu Kururugi, it is very complicated. In the anime, Suzaku was put under training by Kyoshiroh Tohdoh, a military officer, which was probably under Genbu's request since he wants his son to be physically strong and mentally disciplined. It'd make sense that the Prime Minister would want his child to be trained since childhood in order to follow in his footsteps. So expect a very difficult relationship with Suzaku and his father, because I myself had a complicated relationship which made me turn into a rebellious person in order to have fun. But I wouldn't expect Suzaku to do such a thing since I believe he would have nothing, but respect for his father due to his high position. But even Suzaku is aware that he gets little time to have fun which is the reason why he joined the Student Council, to gain some time away from home and personal troubles so he can be with his friends and have a good time while at Ashford.**

**Aside from that, thank you for reading my story and I hope you continue to follow it as it updates over time. I can't tell you exactly when I'll post the next chapter, but I can tell you that I will be working on it without doubt so please be patient. Also please leave a review with your thoughts on this chapter so I can know what sort of ideas are floating around in your minds so I can try and answer questions you may have or use any recommendations you may give. So thanks again and please come back for more!**


	3. Stage 03: New Father

**Hello Everyone! Thanks for continuing to read my story and I hope you continue. Just know that I will do my best to continue with this story as long as I can. However, know right now that this story was never meant to be based around only the game _Knightmare Battle!_. This story was meant to follow the lives of each Ashford Academy Student Council member with the _Knightmare Battle!_ game throwing things off. So just know not every chapter will feature the game and that normal everyday problems we face in real life will be seen in here as well, such as the tough relationship between Suzaku and his father and we will also go into the lives of other characters, that I can guarantee. **

**Anyway as for your reviews, I truly appreciate you all taking the time to leave a review, whether it be about the most recently updated chapter or a past one. To _MisterSP, _I did make a small mistake which I fixed so thanks for noticing that. And COLINZBERTRAM, I am looking forward to the tournament as well and as for the Four Holy Swords and the Knights of the Rounds, they will make an appearance along with many other groups and pilots. **

**I do plan on putting as many people as possible, but with the large universe that is Code Geass, it'll be tough to do so without rushing things and without making some confusing statements. So I intend on trying to pace this at a reasonable rate. Just give me time and I'll manage to get everything right. And to FireMiner, I doubt that pain will be simulated since it could end in a lawsuit for the game, but we'll see if I can at least put some form of paralyzation. Also, Lelouch will not pilot the Agravain since Wizard is going to show up with that machine. And as for a cruel or nice persona, I think I'll keep it the same as in the series. Nice to everyone, but when it comes to business, he'll be vicious and as evil as ever.**

**With all that out of the way, go on and read this chapter and please leave a review.**

**I wonder if anyone caught the _Bologne1_ reference...**

* * *

**Kururugi Mansion, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Friday, September 22nd, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Suzaku silently entered his home, the Kururugi Mansion, which was located on a private patch of land on the outskirts of the Tokyo Settlement. Suzaku had arrived home a little later than he had wished for since he did have work to do for both the Student Council and for his classes. He was exhausted by the recent turn of events. The battle. The appearance of Zero. The gift of the white colored knightmare named Lancelot. It was all surprising and Suzaku now wished that none of it had happened. For if his father were to find out...

"Suzaku!" yelled out a loud and deep voice. Suzaku looked at the source and saw his father atop of the stairs, fully dressed in his usual attire after coming home from a long day of work which was a suit minus the coat with his necktie loosened and his shirt slightly unbuttoned from his neck down to his collarbone.

"Yes sir?" Suzaku asked, addressing his father the same way he had always done since childhood. Their relationship together wasn't a good one to say the least. His father had high expectations of him and he didn't want to disappoint him, let alone ruin the Kururugi name.

"I heard about your recent actions. It's all over the news. 'Suzaku Kururugi, son of former Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi, wins a special event prize at the opening of a new video game.'" Genbu said, restating the headline of a news story he read on _Biglobe_.

"I apologize for my actions sir. It won't happen again." Suzaku said with a bow.

"It had better not! I don't want silly things like video games to interfere with your education and future. Make sure that you stay focused on the path ahead of you and not on the game you played. Do I make myself clear?" Genbu asked sternly with a frown filled with disappointment.

"Yes sir." Suzaku answered with another bow while his father left to his room, leaving Suzaku alone downstairs. His brown curls covered his eyes as he looked down at the tiled floor of his home. Suzaku could only feel uncertainty when it came to his relationship with his father which had been a rough one since birth. Sometimes Suzaku wondered if he was at fault. After all, Suzaku's mother died giving birth to him int he first place and although Suzaku never mentioned it, he believed his father had turned into a bitter and hateful man who could only resent the world around him. And having Suzaku there daily would remind him as to why he hated the world.

"Mother...Am I the one at fault?" Suzaku asked quietly in his empty home as a lone tear rolled down his cheek.

* * *

**Conference Room, Infiniti Tower, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Saturday, September 23rd****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Silence filled the air as everyone who were Zero's closest executives or workers sat at a long elliptical table with only the head seat being empty. Everyone from the Knightmare Development Division to the Beta-Testing Division was waiting for their CEO to arrive and begin the meeting. According to the e-mail Zero sent out, those sponsoring the company and the investors who piled millions of dollars into making this game a reality were really pissed off over the fact that Zero just released a special machine, the Z-01 Lancelot, without taking advantage of the situation.

According to the greedy eyes of those who backed Project Knightmare, if Zero wasn't as foolish as he was, they could've made the Lancelot either a downloadable item for players or a very expensive once in a life time deal for any rich player.

Even the coders that created the Lancelot under Zero's orders were slightly shocked that he would give away such a powerful machine to a random person. What were Zero's true intentions?

The doors to the conference room slid open as their masked and caped leader walked in saying, "My apologies for being late. The elevators are malfunctioning, so I had to take the stairs." Zero explained as he sat down at his seat at the head of the table.

"So why did you call us all here?" asked a man who wore large rectangular glasses as well as a large white lab coat. His hair was white with a tint of purple and his expression seemed bored due to the fact that he avoided these things as much as possible. This man was Lloyd Asplund, head of Project Knightmare's Knightmare Development Division which was responsible for the creation of the Z-01 Lancelot which was given to Suzaku Kururugi less than 24 hours earlier.

"It seems that my actions yesterday have slightly angered our backers. It seems the larger corporations don't want me to be giving away such prizes like the Lancelot without a price. They want to mass-produce the knightmare as a downloadable item, similar to the Britannian gaming company, Activision." Zero explained as he slid a folder over to Lloyd which contained various reports from Banpresto, FromSoftware, and Konami.

"Why would they want that? The Lancelot isn't some toy that can be bought! It's a special machine that is one-of-a-kind! How could they just expect me to sell away my creations in such a way?" Lloyd asked angrily, almost as if someone had said something blasphemous.

"You needn't worry. I won't allow them to mass-produce the Lancelot, nor it's successors. For the plan to continue forward on schedule, we cannot have any copies of any custom knightmare frames. Otherwise nothing would be accomplished. Now that this is out of the way, I have a request of you, Guildford." said Zero as he shifted his gaze toward the blue eyed man with a long ponytail.

Gilbert G.P. Guildford was an Administrator for the Project Knightmare servers and he would frequently access the game via pods within the building alongside his partner Andreas Darlton and their leader, Cornelia Lithuania, head of the Administrator Division.

"Yes sir?" Guildford asked at attention, much like a military officer which Zero particularly liked about him.

"I'd like for you and the Administrator Division to take on the group of people affiliated with the pilot of the Lancelot, Suzaku Kururugi. It seems that there were 2 others in his party and that together they won their first battle yesterday. So, use your Gloucesters to engage the enemy and see how good he really is. I'll leave it up to Cornelia to decide how she confronts the White Knight. That is all for now." Zero finished as he began leaving the room as did all others. While everyone separated toward their respective areas, Guildford pulled aside Lloyd to talk about something that was concerning him for a while now.

"Lloyd, are you sure you won't be mass-producing the Lancelot? I thought that you were going to be working on that after the bugs within the Lancelot's system were completed." Guildford said as he remembered another meeting they had regarding knightmares and what their future would be.

"Ah, about that. In order to move onto that phase, we need to create a prototype for the mass-produced knightmares. But before I can create that prototype, the Development Division is developing three other machines to fix out all the bugs as well as any potential future weapons." Lloyd explained as he recalled the plan he had set up regarding the Administrators and their machines.

"I see. Well I thank you for letting me know. I look forward to the finished product." Guildford said as he took his leave.

"As do I. The Vincent will be quite an interesting model." Lloyd said to himself as he left toward his floor, where the Development Division worked.

* * *

**Development Division, Infiniti Tower, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Saturday, September 23rd****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

The Development Division was far larger than any regular area in the entire building. It was one story taller than all the other levels in the building and it was wide and spread out, rather than being cramped like any regular business company. There were computers everywhere with many people dressed in labcoats or orange uniforms working hard on testing new knightmares for the game. And as Lloyd entered his area of work, or rather area of play, he smiled at the thought of the Zero's decision about the Lancelot and every custom knightmare after it. And it seemed his closest associate had noticed it as well.

"I take it that the meeting went well?" asked a purple haired woman who wore an orange dress uniform. Her name was Cecile Croomy, the Sub-Head of the Development Division and the co-creator of the Lancelot alongside it's original inventor, Lloyd Asplund.

"Of course it did. Zero really shares my feelings when it comes to my creations. It seems that he doesn't want them to be sold away like puppies at a pet store for everyone to have. He seems to comprehend the full uniqueness of this machine." Lloyd said to her associate as he sat down at his computer to open up the files for the Lancelot.

On screen were the specs and data of his machine along with an outline of both the external and internal systems. There was even information regarding it's pilot.

"Born July 10th, 2000, Suzaku Kururugi, a seventeen year old student at Ashford Academy. Son of Japan's former Prime Minister, Genbu Kururugi. Brown hair and green eyes. He stands at 5 feet, 7 inches. He's a Cancer and his blood type is O. Suzaku was also trained by Lieutenant Colonel Kyoshiro Tohdoh ever since the age of ten." Cecile said as she read his information and bio which Zero had managed to get ever since he gave Suzaku the Lancelot.

"I always did wonder how Zero managed to get his hands on this type of information. I wonder if he has the same thing for every employee." Lloyd said as he thought over what possible secrets Lloyd had that Zero could have known.

"Now what about the next knightmare to be released? Will we have to push the production of the Club?" Cecile asked as she looked at the specs of their current project, the Lancelot Club, sister unit to the Lancelot which was being developed by Lloyd's intern, Marie Lubie, who was a young genius who was attending a college in Tokyo while she worked under Lloyd's team.

"Oh I wish we were the ones who could release the next knightmare, but that privilege has been bestowed on Rackshata's group and their Guren model. I'm guessing that this will be some sort of pattern. Anyway, just because they're releasing next, doesn't mean we need to stop development. Call up Marie and tell her to bring in the Club for a simulation battle." Lloyd requested as he began to type into a nearby computer, bringing up a coding program to prepare a simulation battle.

* * *

**Kururugi Mansion, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Saturday, September 23rd, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Currently, Kyoshiro Tohdoh was talking to his old friend, Genbu Kururugi and their former political ally, Atsushi Sawasaki, about the recent events involving Suzaku Kururugi. To Tohdoh, it didn't seem like much of a big deal, as the kid was just doing what he expected them to do. Go to school and hang out right after. However, in the eyes of the strict Genbu Kururugi, it was nothing, but a waste of time which could be used for studying for his political future.

"I agree with you Genbu. I believe the only way that the Kururugi family can continue it's political reign is by ensuring your son continues studying vigorously until he graduates from a university with the highest grades. Otherwise he won't be qualified to become the next Prime Minister." Sawasaki said as he answered Genbu's rants about his son's recent actions.

"But aren't you taking this a bit too far? Suzaku is a dedicated young man. I am sure that he won't waste his future on things like games. For him to act like a regular teenager isn't wrong in any way." Tohdoh countered, trying to get his old friend to see that he was putting too much pressure on his son.

"Oh really? Tohdoh, was it not you who trained my son when he was nothing, but a boy? You trained him sternly and strictly. So why is it that you now believe that he shouldn't continue on a serious path? He has no time for games, especially at this point in his educational career." Genbu countered.

"True, but I have also faced Suzaku's position. He is following in your footsteps because you wish him to. You've never given your son the chance to become what he truly desires. My own father has done the same to me. I became a soldier because he trained me for it. And although I will always respect him for doing so, I can't help, but wonder. What if I became something more? More than what he wished for me? Something that I wished for?" Tohdoh said as he revealed his own past position which was exactly the same as Suzaku's. And Tohdoh couldn't bear to see another person being forced into something they may not wish for.

"Are you implying that I'm forcing my son into my shoes? How dare you. Tohdoh, I thought you agreed to this. I thought you wanted my policies to prosper." Genbu added angrily as he gave Tohdoh a look like he was ready to fight.

"I did. But now that I see that you have become so power hungry that you want to use your own son as a tool, I am no longer going to be supporting your choices. In fact, I don't even think you are fit to be Suzaku's father." Tohdoh finalized as he stood up to leave. However, Genbu also stood in a fit of fury as he began cursing at his former friend.

"How dare you talk to me in that way! Who do you think you are? Do you believe yourself above me?! Get out of my home and stay away from my son Kyoshiro! Otherwise you'll regret ever being born!" Genbu yelled out as he pointed at the door.

As Tohdoh exited the mansion and soon the entire estate, he couldn't help, but smirk. He had gotten the information he needed. All he needed to do was meet up with a certain maid he knew so he could get all the evidence he needed. For three months now, Tohdoh had been suspecting that Genbu Kururugi and his accomplice, Atsushi Sawasaki, had been preparing Suzaku Kururugi so he could become Japan's Prime Minister. And with his son in power, Genbu would use him as a way of controlling the Japanese government. And so he was asked by a man who called himself the 'Cardinal', to look into the situation. He had even been given a partner who would serve as the insider of the Kururugi home.

And if things went as well as this man had believed, then Tohdoh would be able to not only send both Genbu and Kawasaku to prison, but he would become the guardian of Suzaku Kururugi, the only person he'd ever considered to be his own son. Now he could finally save Suzaku and provide for him, a free future.

* * *

**Oriental Arcade, Omotesandō Mall****, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Saturday, September 23rd, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Lelouch had been waiting for Suzaku for the longest time now. It had been one hour since they last spoke and Suzaku said he was on his way to the arcade. The only person who arrived in that time was Kallen and she was getting very aggravated with Suzaku as she had been wanting to play _Knightmare Battle!_ ever since the day before.

"Do we really have to keep waiting for that guy? I mean we don't need him to win. We just need your strategies." Kallen told Lelouch as she stood against the wall of the arcade. She was wearing a red sleeveless turtleneck, black jeans, and shoes while Lelouch was wearing a red jacket, black shirt, jeans, and shoes. And finally, Suzaku decided to show up. He was wearing what appeared to be a white shirt, blue jeans, and black boots. And in his right hand was a briefcase, the same on that Zero handed to him the night before.

"So why did you take so long?" Kallen asked annoyed as she didn't want to wait any longer to play.

"I was trying to evade some people. It seems my father has some guys monitoring me, so I had to lose them first." Suzaku replied, causing Lelouch to frown.

"You know if playing this game makes your dad angry, then I don't want you playing it." Lelouch said as he was hoping that everything was alright for Suzaku back at home.

"Don't worry about it. It's no big deal. Now come on, let's get going." Suzaku said as he entered the arcade with his two friends. The trio went upstairs and after changing into their pilot suits, they secured three pods and began playing the game. They picked played a local match, much like before and coincidentally, they were put in the Shinjuku Ghetto map once more.

"Alright then. We'll use the same strategy as yesterday. All units, listen up! We have the Lancelot on our side! Meaning that it will be the spearhead to our attack. Aid the Lancelot should he need it. Otherwise, destroy all Glasgows in your path!" Lelouch yelled into the mic as he looked at the map. He was sitting in the same abandoned tower as the day before with Kallen protecting it from the ground floor. If things went the same as yesterday, that'd be two wins in a row.

However, this time there was something different. Something off. Although Suzaku and their team were attacking the enemies head on, those at the rear of their offense were being destroyed, one by one.

"What's going on? Suzaku, is something wrong?" Lelouch asked as he looked on at the map as his forces fell to the unknown enemy.

"I don't know. I can't find whomever is doing this. Wait, is that it?" Suzaku asked as he looked on at a purple knightmare with a golden lance in hand. It had two large horns extending from it's head and it appeared to be a more advanced model than the Glasgows. And that wasn't the end of it. There were two others similar to it, minus the horns and lance. They had either a rifle or a bazooka.

And these three were now Suzaku's opponents.

"Are you Suzaku Kururugi?" asked a female voice over the chat.

"Yes, I am." Suzaku replied as he prepared to fight.

"I am Cornelia Lithuania. I am an administrator from _Project Knightmare_. I have been sent here with my two subordinates to test out your strength. Now we'll see who's stronger. Your leader's tactics or my skill." Cornelia said with a smirk from her own pod back at the Infiniti Tower.

"Fine. Let's battle." Suzaku said as he brought out his machine's two Maser Vibration Swords. These red blades were capable of cutting through anything. Now he would have to test it.

"Give me your all!" Cornelia yelled as she sped forward with her lance ready to strike. Suzaku had his swords ready to strike to as he sped forward to deflect the attack. he sliced at the enemy knightmare vertically, but this was stopped by the lance which revealed three spiked which had locked the sword in place. Suzaku brought around the other blade, but it was shot away by one of the other purple machines.

"Damn!" Suzaku yelled out, causing Lelouch to worry.

"Kallen! We're going over there! Now!" Lelouch ordered as he prepared his machine for combat. He sped his Glasgow off the tall building and by using his slash harkens, he was able to hook to another building, thus swinging him down to a lower level. As they sped to aid Suzaku, Cornelia began giving him an important lesson.

"Strength isn't just in your abilities, Kururugi. It is also in the mind. Right now, you are too focused on your father to fight. And because of this, you are weak. You must set aside your feelings when battling, otherwise you'll be killed. Do you understand?" Cornelia asked, wanting to ensure that this boy understood the importance of using your head and your body in the middle of a fight.

"How do you know about my father?" Suzaku asked, before being destroyed by a rocket from one of Cornelia's subordinates.

And by the time he lost battle, Lelouch and Kallen had arrived, just in time to see his knightmare explode.

"Suzaku! You bastards. Who are you anyway!?" Lelouch demanded a she brought out his machine's rifle.

"I am Cornelia Lithuania. Head Administrator for _Project Knightmare's _Adminstrator Division. And you are?" Cornelia asked, wanting to know who her next victim was.

"I am Lelouch Lamperouge, student at Ashford Academy. Your machine, is it a new model?" asked Lelouch curiously as he had the feeling he'd seen it before.

"I am piloting a Gloucester, a custom model. It has never been seen before, until now. And let me say that just because your party had a powerful machine, doesn't mean you are automatically the winner. Especially when you reuse a strategy, Lelouch." Cornelia replied.

"So, you studied the way I fight? Well that doesn't matter. Because nothing beats strategy!" Lelouch yelled out as he charged forward. Kallen did the same while firing her bullets at the enemy Gloucesters, which dodged the rain of bullets. They countered by firing their slash harkens at the Glasgows that Kallen and Lelouch piloted, managing to grapple the legs. They reeled in their catch like fishers and the two knigthmares fell on their backs, becoming vulnerable.

"Jumping into a fight without any experience isn't a good strategy either. You must learn how to fight before leading others. Otherwise you are nothing more than a coward." Cornelia stated as she threw up a chaos grenade into the air. The projectile gave off a rain of bullets upon the two downed Glasgows, killing Kallen and Lelouch and in turn, ending the game.

* * *

After leaving their pods and chancing back into their regular clothes. The group of three went to an ice cream shop and while they sat their eating their snacks, Lelouch couldn't help, but feel fury toward Cornelia. Whomever she was, she was a great fighter and a great tactician, something that Lelouch lacked. He lacked the ability to fight on par with someone like her which only angered him to the extreme. And he wasn't the only one. Even Kallen was pissed. But unlike her, he was able to keep it to himself, while she went on and on about how much she wanted revenge on that witch.

Suzaku however, was just as quiet as Lelouch was, but instead of having a look of anger, he had a blank stare, as if he was busy contemplating on something important.

"Is something wrong Suzaku?" Lelouch asked causing Suzaku to leave his train of thought behind.

"Oh it's nothing." Suzaku answered with a fake smile, causing Lelouch to frown.

"I hate it when you claim nothing is wrong when you are clearly bothered by something. Now tell me, what is it? Is it Cornelia?" Lelouch asked curiously as he wanted to reassure his friend that he did nothing wrong.

"Well kind of...you see...she mentioned my father...I don't know what she did, but I think she knows something about him that I don't." Suzaku said as he shared his thoughts. "I think that something is wrong. That something is going to happen."

And just as Suzaku did, if you speak of the devil, he will come. On the television in the corner of the small shop was the Tokyo Settlement News which was talking about the recent events regarding Genbu Kururugi and his subordinate Atsushi Sawasaki.

"Former Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi and his former political ally, Atsushi Sawasaki, have been arrested by Tokyo police due to confirmation of Genbu's plan on taking over the Japanese government. It is said that Lieutenant Colonel Kyoshiro Tohdoh, another ally of Genbu, had discovered this plan to place a puppet government with another assailant acting as Prime Minister while Kururugi gave orders from behind the scenes. He is going to stand trial along with Sawasaki for treason against the federal government. Meanwhile, Kyoshiro Tohdoh, godfather of Genbu's son, Suzaku Kururugi, will be taking responsibiity as Suzaku's guardian until further notice." said the newswoman, causing Suzaku's eyed to open wide in shock.

What was currently happening was too much for him to take in. So without a moment to spare, Suzaku left the shop and quickly ran off to go home and check on the situation. Whatever was going on, must have had to do something with Cornelia. Otherwise she would've never mentioned his father. Or maybe, someone else was pulling the strings from the shadows.

* * *

**CEO Office, Infiniti Tower, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Saturday, September 23rd****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Zero looked on at the television as the news about Genbu Kururugi's arrest spread around like wildfire. He smirked widely as he looked on at the monitor. Everything was going according to plan. With Suzaku Kururugi's freedom, he could gain more and more information regarding his combat abilities in the game and he could eventually see whether or not Kururugi was capable of fighting in the upcoming tournament. And he wasn't the only person that Zero was keeping his eye on. There were many others that he was looking at.

One of them was a young silver haired man called Rai Sumeragi. From what he was told by Marie Lubie, Lloyd's associate in the Development Division, Rai had the same combat abilities as Suzaku did and he was using a Glasgow. So that made him a perfect subject for an upcoming special event knightmare. And he wasn't the only one. Another associate he knew in the Development Division, a woman named Sophie Randall, who was working on an advanced Sixth Generation Knightmare Frame codenamed Alexander. So far Zero didn't know anything about it, but he trusted Sophie and all the other Developers in the company. Because they were the engine behind his master plan. The K-Plan, which would bring together all of the best _Knightmare Battle!_ players for the future tournament. And at that tournament,

But to reach that point, they had a long and hard road ahead of them which involved a lot of research as well as under the table movements by Zero in order to get everything together. And this was the first step. By ensuring the future of his first contestant.

* * *

******Kururugi Mansion, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Saturday, September 23rd****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Suzaku arrived at his home to see that police were all over the mansion and that standing at the entrance was Kyoshiro Tohdoh. The tall spike haired man looked on at Suzaku with sorrow. Despite having been responsible for what happened, Tohdoh still wished that he could have found a better way to solve the problem at hand.

"Suzaku. I'm sorry for what's happened." Tohdoh began, before Suzaku interrupted by yelling at his former master.

"Why? Why did you turn against my father? He had no interest in creating a puppet government!" Suzaku yelled out angrily as tears threatened to fall from his eyes.

"That's not true. He was forcing someone to become a Prime Minister of Japan. He was forcing...you." Tohdoh stated, causing Suzaku's eyes to widen. It was true. Suzaku should've known. He always knew that his father had wanted Suzaku to become the next Prime Minister, especially if he'd reinstate his former policies that the current Prime Minister had revoked.

"Why?" Suzaku said silently, confusing Tohdoh slightly. "Why didn't he let it go? Why did he want me to succeed him?" asked Suzaku as he never wished to become the leader of Japan anyway.

"Because...he was power hungry. Greed can infect even the best of men. But just know this...with his incarceration, you have been freed. You can now follow any path you wish. Nobody can tell you otherwise Suzaku. And I'm hoping, that you accept my offer. I wish to become your guardian so you can finish your high school studies and become anyone you wish. I want your future to be n your hands only. So you can have the freedom that I never had." Tohdoh explained as he revealed his intention.

Suzaku finally realized it. After all of these years, his mentors words still stood true. Back when Suzaku was just ten years old, he was given a confession by his strict master. He said; "Suzaku, you are the closest thing I've had to a son. And so, no matter what happens, I will continue to look out for you. Even when you've become a man."

Ever since he was ten, the only man who truly thought of him as family was not Genbu Kururugi. It was Kyoshiro Tohdoh.

"I accept your offer. Thank you, Master Tohdoh." Suzaku said giving his master a bow as tears flowed down his cheek. However, the soldier did something that shocked Suzaku. It was the last thing he had expected. The tall military man had embraced Suzaku into a hug.

"No, thank you Suzaku." Tohdoh replied as Suzaku returned the embrace.

* * *

**Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Monday, September 25th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Lelouch was sitting in the Student Council room with his friends, which consisted of the Student Council themselves. And right now he was talking to Suzaku about what happened to his father since they haven't seen one another since Saturday.

"So where are you staying at? With Kaguya?" asked Lelouch as he thought about his friends enthusiastic little cousin whom had a huge crush on Lelouch.

"No, I've been staying with my godfather, Kyoshiro Tohdoh." Suzaku answered with a smile. Lelouch noticed this and he couldn't help, but feel that Suzaku had finally found some happiness.

"Are you enjoying your time with him?" Lelouch asked, hoping to hear more about his friend's current predicament.

"Yeah. It's been going great. He said I can stay with him as long as I'd like. And to be honest, I think I'll stay until graduation. I mean the chances of my father ending up innocent are low. But even if he's in prison, I think I can continue to enjoy life. And maybe, I can become whomever I want to be." Suzaku said happily as he thought about living with his new guardian who was doing a fantastic job so far.

"Sound like you're really happy. I'm glad for you Suzaku." Lelouch replied with a smile as he thanked the gods that Suzaku was finally freed from the chains of politics. However, that wasn't the important thing right now. Especially since Rivalz was calling the two friends from across the room.

"Hey guys! Come look at this! You too Kallen! This is very important!" Rivalz said as he pointed at his laptop's screen. The trio walked over to Rivalz's side and they looked at the _Biglobe_ website which was playing a recent video from _Project Knightmare_.

"I am Zero and I am here to announce the latest update to our new arcade game, _Knightmare Battle!_. We have finally updated the game in order to provide you all with the now fully operational Online Mode as well as all of it's game modes from Team Deathmatch to the new War Mode. And to make things even better for you knights out there, we have introduced the release of 16 new knightmare frames with many variants included resulting in the total of 31 knightmares. These include Fourth Generation and above knightmares that will show the various amounts of warfare as well as the various styles of combat. And to make things even more interesting, we have added the creation of Factions. These groups will have numerous ranks and positions which will be useful for various future events which I promise, will be worth waiting for. And to finalize everything, we are going to be releasing a brand new knightmare this week to one lucky player. And let me say that playing the game as often as possible will increase your chances." Zero announced as images of the 31 knightmares popped up as well as the black outline of a new machine with a question mark over it. Zero raised his hand towards the camera and finished his speech with: "Good luck to all who want this powerful machine. And I do hope you enjoy the updates we at _Project Knightmare _have worked hard on making a reality. And I finish this update by asking for your patience for more knightmares and more updates." And with that the video ended.

Before Lelouch could share his opinion on the video, Kallen burst out in happiness at the recent announcement. "An Online Mode? A special knightmare? I can't let this one slip out of my fingers! I have to win it! I can't let Suzaku be the only one with a powerful knightmare!" Kallen yelled out as her eyes burned with a fiery passion as her determination to win this new machine filled the room.

"Well this is certainly interesting to say the least. But what I want to know is why. Why is he releasing yet another machine this soon? And why so many? he could make money just by making it some form of a download." Lelouch said as he wondered about Zero's true intentions. Why was he making these special customized knightmares? Why so much? And why so quickly?

* * *

**CEO Office, Infiniti Tower, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Monday, September 25th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Zero was sitting at his office as he received a report from his close companion and a very trusted advisor, Sayoko Shinozaki. She was a woman he had known for years and thanks to her, he was able to get Suzaku Kururugi under the protection of Kyoshiro Tohdoh. It was Sayoko's infiltration of the Kururugi home that allowed him to gain evidence that not only made Genbu Kururugi look like a bad parent, but also a greedy politician with chaotic plans for the Japanese government.

"And with the evidence having been handed over to the Tokyo police as well as the Japanese High Court, we have ensured the incarceration of Genbu Kururugi and his associate, Atsushi Kawasaki. That is the end of my report." Sayoko finished as she held the files behind her back while she awaited Zero's response.

The black haired male smiled widely as he looked at the papers on his desk. His crimson eyes scanned the files as he read about the plans Genbu had planned out as well as numerous bribes which ensure his son would make it to a powerful university. Zero couldn't help, but smile as he thought over Genbu's actions. He didn't know if fate had set this up, but getting revenge against the ex-Prime Minister made him happy in the craziest of ways.

Regardless, he would have to celebrate over his victory another time since he had a meeting with Kyoshiro Tohdoh about the deal they made. "Thank you Sayoko. You really outdid yourself this time. Anyway, I have a meeting with Tohdoh next, so I'll need you to leave for now. We can talk about your pay later. And another thing, I need Jeremiah to return immediately so we can begin work on the Knight Giga Fortress Project. So when you get the chance, call him back home as soon as possible. I think we have enough information from Ashford Academy so we can begin work on the A.I. Program." Zero said, causing Sayoko to bow in return before leaving the office.

Only a couple of moments after she left, Tohdoh arrived at the room with a slightly shocked face which calmed down after a bit. "You know, I'll never be able to get over how similar you look to _him_." Tohdoh said as he remembered the face of a young purple eyed boy he knew from Suzaku's days as a boy.

"Please, don't remind me. Every time I think about him I feel guilt. If only things went different back then." Zero said as he thought about the past. How everything he cared for was taken away, and how he was working hard to get back the one person he loved. The reason he went into this business. And the reason he made the game.

"I'm sorry. I know that it was a tough time for you back then. Anyway, I was going to tell you that I appreciate everything you've done for Suzaku. But now down to my part of the deal. May I ask, why you want me as a part of your Administrator Division?" Tohdoh asked as he remembered the deal he made with Zero months ago.

"Because you are capable of being the best. Not only can you watch over Suzaku, but you can test him and bring out his full potential. And that isn't the only thing. You can also become a part of something bigger. Something greater. Something that will surpass anything ever before seen. Because this isn't just a game. This is the beginning of a whole new world." Zero said as he went into his usual exaggeration about his upcoming plans.

But it was no exaggeration. It was actually what Zero believed in. Access to a whole new world. As well as the rescue of someone he cared for. Someone he lost years ago. And someone he hoped to take back.

"So you want me to head an entire group to watch over your game? Like a guardian?" Tohdoh asked as he waited for an answer about his position in the company.

"Precisely." Zero admitted with a smile as he thought over the upcoming project that Rackshata wanted to be put into activation. Not only would he lead four others into battle against the regular people, but he would provide data for experimental knightmares in their possession which would be the forerunners to a whole new generation of knightmares. And these weren't the only ones. There were many more similar to the one made for Tohdoh. Similar to the Lancelot, which were the important parts of finding his objective.

The one named C.C.

* * *

**Thank you for reading and I apologize for the long time it too to get this out there. I was on vacation and I was having trouble getting this together, but I managed to get it done and I do hope you liked the chapter. I managed to get Suzaku's Arc out of the way along with the addition of more knightmares and also the expansion of Zero's personality and his history. I'll talk about that more in the future in later chapters. Right now, I'm trying to focus more on the main Lelouch Of The Rebellion cast, but I'll expand to others soon. Also know that manga and video game characters will be involved. Also make sure you check out both the Code Geass Fanon Wikia as well as the RaiZero Fanon Wikia to get updates regarding my stories such as images, videos, character bios, and the like. It'll seriously help you when trying to understand the universe of this fanfiction and others that I write. Anyway, thanks again for reading and please leave a review.**


	4. Stage 04: Past Memories

**Hello Everyone! Quick update wasn't it? I don't know, I guess I've been inspired to write since the last chapter. Know full well that I'm working hard to get the whole story out to you all as quickly as possible without ruining the flow of the story. Anyway, please enjoy and leave a review when you're done!**

* * *

******Kawasaki North Academy, Kawasaki Settlement,** United States of Japan

**Tuesday, September 26th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Akito was looking at a magazine titled _Knightmag_ which was the official magazine for _Project Knightmare_ and the _Knightmare Battle!_ arcade game. It was released that morning and he had been reading it ever since he got to school. It had information regarding the recent update of the game as well as it's many features and Zero's actions regarding the special knightmare and how powerful it was compared to the Lancelot. Apparently, this was the second in a long line of special knightmares. Akito couldn't help, but get a little pissed off that he wouldn't be getting this one. He knew for a fact that he as promised a special knightmare due to the work his friend, Anna Clement, had been doing as an intern under a Developer at_ Project Knightmare_._  
_

She promised him and his friends that once they were finished with their project, she would recommend her friends as Beta Testers so they could participate in the game as something more than a player. But for the moment, Akito would have to play the game as a casual person. And according to the magazine, this was the perfect opportunity to pilot one of the weaker models to prove his combat power against everyone else.

And as he looked at the various machines in the magazine, he couldn't help, but smile at the machine he would be piloting. It was small, it had low maneuverability, and it's firepower was limited. The Gardmare. The perfect machine to use as his test drive.

* * *

**Development Division, Infiniti Tower, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Tuesday, September 26th****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Zero was walking amongst the Development Division of the Infiniti Tower and he was focused on talking to one of their three head Developers, Rackshata Chawla, who was in charge of the Chawla Sector which was developing it's own machines that were not based off of the Glasgow unit. In fact, these were personally made from scrap and their first model was the Guren Mk.I. However, this machine was nothing more than a prototype and it's successor was to be released in 3 days.

And right now the mother of the Guren was finishing up her creation to ensure that it was not only prepared to be released to a special somebody, but to ensure that it could fight on par with the Lancelot, the knightmare made by her long time rival. For some reason, Zero had recruited the two coders, despite knowing full well of their rivalry with one another since their college days. But it was because of this that they were hired. So they could outdo one another and create the best machines that anyone could ask for.

And currently, the blonde Indian woman was smoking her cigarettes as usual while she typed furiously into her personal computer. She was making sure each part of the knightmare was fully functional and that it had no bugs or viruses attached to it's file. Otherwise the person who received the precious gift would be unable to use it properly. Not that she believed anyone could use her baby to it's fullest potential.

"Ahh, here comes the caped crusader." Rackshata Chawla said as she stared up at the masked man who could only chuckle at the many nicknames she gave him.

"It's nice to see you to Rackshata. Now, according to your report the Guren is ready for distribution." Zero said as he recalled the piece of paper she faxed him an hour earlier.

"Yes. She is ready to be given away to any fool out there. I'm just making sure that there are no problems for when you send my child to her new home." Rackshata said dramatically as she was still very angry over the fact that her children would be given away like puppies at a sidewalk.

"Your child isn't going to be given to just anyone. Between you and me, only certain people are qualified for knightmares like the Guren and the Lancelot. And let me say that the owner of this crimson beauty will be going to someone who will care for it just as much as you do." Zero assured as he patted Rackshata's shoulder like a man at a foster home assuring the child of a mother will be given a better home.

"I hope for your sake that she is taken care of. Otherwise, you won't be getting any help from me when it comes to your knightmare, Zero." Rackshata said viciously as she thought over the custom knightmare he requested. At first it was going to be the machine Lloyd was making codenamed, Gawain, however, Zero made the choice to give it to someone he knew could use if effectively. And he also wished for something more advanced than the Gawain, which Rackshata promised.

"Well let's just say that the pilot of the Guren is very similar to Suzaku Kururugi in terms of intelligence and skill." Zero answered as he tried giving her an idea of who the pilot could be.

"Oh, Kururugi eh? I read his file. He's perfect for Lloyd's creation, but I don't think that someone of his level is good enough for the Guren." Rackshata backfired as she wanted to drill into Zero's head that the Guren couldn't belong to just anyone.

"I know. I have someone better." Zero replied before taking his leave. In his mind he couldn't help, but smile at the thought of the young red haired girl. The last time he'd seen her in person was when she was nothing, but a child. And now she was a young woman who would serve as the perfect pilot of the Guren. Zero even recalled way back when he first met Kallen and her mother. As well as her older brother. He was a genius. But whether or not he would serve as a good addition to the K-Plan had yet to be seen. Because Naoto Kouzuki was a wild card. His actions were hard to determine. Especially after what happened regarding his father's connection with Genbu Kururugi and the original Ragnarok Connection. It was all going well, up until Genbu decided to ruin everything. And because of that he had to...he had to...

* * *

**Mirage Apartments, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Tuesday, September 26th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Lelouch sneezed loudly as he turned away from the warm soup he was making for his younger sister. It was bad enough that she had the flu. To get germs from Lelouch wouldn't make it any better. So after wiping away the small amount of snot that came from his nose with a napkin, he took the warm meal out of the kitchen and towards his younger sister's room. Inside he looked around and saw the white colored room which had a twin bed in which she slept as well as a 30 inch flat screen on the wall across the room which sat above a desk which was accompanied by a laptop, chair, and photographs of Nunnally, himself, and Suzaku as well as their parents whom passed away seven years ago.

He couldn't help, but feel sorrow as he thought about his mother and father. They died in an explosion from what he remembered. They were on an island working for some very important people, but he didn't know who, how, or why.

Regardless, that was all in the past and he would have to let that go. Because mourning the dead never brought food to the table and it never paid the bills. But gambling sure did, despite his sister's dislike for it.

He decided to ignore the subject and he placed the tray he was carrying on his sister's lap, who had been staring at Lelouch for quite some time now ever since his entrance. "Is something wrong Nunnally?" Lelouch asked as he looked at his little sister. She had long brown hair as well as amethyst eyes which were the lighter equivalent to Lelouch's darker purple orbs.

"No, nothing's wrong. I was just wondering what you could be thinking about." Nunally responded with a smile as she looked on at her older brother.

"I'm sorry you can't go to school today. You'll just need to wait out your flu and you can return by next week." Lelouch said as he helped feed his sister. Despite being fully capable of doing it herself, she didn't argue when he wanted to feed her. Because the last time she did, Lelouch gave her the longest lecture as to why she can't be moving around too much. So she saved herself the trouble and let him do it.

"Lelouch?" Nunnally asked as he dipped the spoon into the steaming bowl. He paused and looked at his sister questioningly.

"What is it?" Lelouch asked as he waited for her response.

"Do you ever think? About them? About mother and father?" Nunnally asked as she looked at the picture that sat on her desk which was of their family seven years ago. It was when Lelouch was ten years old and Nunnally was around six. Their father, Dash and their mother, Caroline, were standing side by side with their hands placed on Lelouch and Nunnally's shoulders as they smiled for the picture.

Their father was a tall and proud man with short black hair and crimson colored pupils. In the photograph he was wearing a black suit complete with a red tie. As for their mother, she was wearing a white dress and high heels. Her light brown hair was swaying in the wind. Lelouch was the spitting image of their father, minus the red eyes. For some reason they had inherited the violet eyes of their grandparents, which was something their father was proud of. Lelouch wore blue jeans, a black t-shit and sneakers. Nunnally looked the same, albeit with shorter hair which was put up into two pony tails. She wore a dress similar to her mothers, but hers was of a light shade of blue.

One big happy family, that was torn apart on August 10th, 2010. On that day they lost their parents and on that day they were put in the care of the Ashford Foundation, whom were close friends to the Lamperouge family. It was then that they met with Milly Ashford and in the years to come they would also meet Rivalz Cardemonde, Shirley Fennette, and Nina Einstein. And in 2016 they would reunite with a childhood friend, Suzaku Kururugi whom they'd known since 2009. And that wasn't all. In 2017, earlier that year, they would also reunite with Kallen Kouzuki.

"I try my best not to. It was tough on us. But we made it through. And we will continue on. I promise you Nunnally. I won't leave you." Lelouch promised as he did the day they found out about their parents demise.

"Lelouch...do you remember the day we met Kallen?" Nunnally asked curiously as she hoped he would.

"Kallen? We met her earlier this year." Lelouch stated as he thought about the whole incident regarding the bottle of whiskey and the shower. An incident he promised never to talk about again.

"No, that's not it. When we met her and her father. At their estate. Remember?" Nunnally asked as she recalled the day they arrived at Stadtfeld Estate with their father.

"Hmm..." Lelouch thought as he tried his best to remember such a day. And then it hit him. He did meet Kallen before. A long time ago.

* * *

**Stadtfeld Estate, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Monday, December 7th, 2009 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Young Lelouch and Nunnally were holding the hands of their father who had brought them along to a meeting with one of his business partners, whom lived in a large home, far bigger than their two story suburban house. They were with their father only because their mother was busy working at the moment, so he was forced to take them with him, which was something their father didn't mind.

And they finally made it to the front steps of the large mansion. And after telling some big men in suits whom he was and what he was doing here, they were allowed into the house. Once inside, standing in a white colored suit which contrasted their father's black suit, was a man with wild red hair which complimented his azure eyes. He gave off a kind atmosphere as he smiled while giving their father a friendly hug.

The man crouched down and shook the hands of both Lelouch and Nunnally, introducing himself as James Stadtfeld. He also said this: "Would you like to play with my daughter?" Before allowing them to respond, he called for his child, Kallen. And from the upper level came down a red haired girl dressed in casual clothes which consisted of a red shirt and blue shorts and running sneakers.

She looked at the two children and introduced herself as, "Kallen Stadtfeld-Kouzuki." Lelouch and Nunnally returned the introduction and Kallen invited the Lamperouge siblings to play in their backyard which had a garden as well as a nice playground for them to enjoy. And while they played in happiness, James and Lelouch's father talked about serious business, concerning the progress of the Ragnarok Connection.

* * *

**Mirage Apartments, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Tuesday, September 26th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

"I do remember now. Has it really been that long?" Lelouch asked as he thought about the time they played 8 years ago.

"You know that was also the day you got your first kiss." Nunnally said, causing Lelouch's face to turn red as he went over the thought of kissing the now older Kallen. His face blushed like crazy, causing Nunnally to giggle as she watched her brother stammer at the thought.

"N-Nunnally! Why'd you have to bring that up anyway?" Lelouch asked as he tried his best to ignore the image he gained.

"Do you like her?" Nunnally asked her brother, wondering if he had a crush on anyone.

"Who? Kallen?" Lleouch asked for specificity as she nodded at his question. Lelouch thought about it for a bit as he never did understand his relationship with the red head. Who was she to him? A friend? An acquaintance? A classmate? Or something more? "She's just a friend. Besides, I don't have time for any girls in my life right now. The only one I need to care about is you." Lelouch answered lovingly. She was his only family left. He wouldn't dare ignore her for someone else.

"Thank you, Lelouch. But if you do find a girlfriend, it's okay. I don't mind sharing you." Nunnally teased causing her brother to smile gently. It seemed that she also returned that same love.

* * *

**Oriental Arcade,**** Omotesandō Mall, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

**Tuesday, September 26th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Lelouch had finally arrived at the Oriental Arcade where Suzaku and the Student Council had been waiting. According to Kururugi, Kallen had been playing the game nonstop and he was afraid she'd get hurt or would collapse from muscle exhaustion. So he and the others wanted Lelouch to come over and knock some sense into the girl.

He entered the second floor and he saw that a big group had been watching the monitors intensely. Lelouch looked around for his friends and it didn't take long to find the ecstatic blonde President and the rest of the Council. He walked over to the pod they were standing next to and Suzaku quickly noticed him.

"Hey Lelouch. How's Nunnally doing?" Suzaku asked curiously as he had heard she went down with the flu.

"She's doing better than before. She told me to come here and help out and that she'd be fine on her own for a couple of hours. So what's going on anyway? And what's with the crowd?" Lelouch asked as he stared at the big group of people who were yelling and cheering at the monitor as they watched a battle go on.

"It seems that Kallen skipped class and has been playing the game since this morning. She's been retaining a continuous streak which has been 20-0 so far. She hasn't stopped for anything other than a lunch break or bathroom breaks. She says she wants to be noticed so she can get the new knightmare that's coming out this weekend. Since she won't listen to us, we need you to knock sense into her." Rivalz explained as he pointed at the crowd. "And they've been watching her destroy the competition."

"But why do you think she'll listen to me? Kallen hates my guts." Lleouch said as he remembered the time she slapped him for staring at her when they first played the game.

"Because you are her Kryptonite! You're her weakness! You're her crush! She won't listen to anyone, but her master and that's you! You are the one who holds Kallen's leash!" Milly proclaimed as she pointed at Lelouch, giving him continuous metaphors over his relationship to Kallen.

"What's all that supposed to mean Madame President?" Shirley demanded as her face turned red. If the President was saying what Shirley thought she was saying then her whole world would be turned to ashes.

"What I think Milly is trying to say here is that Lelouch is Kallen's crush and she won't listen to anyone other than the man she loves." Nina said quietly causing Shirley to quickly become enraged and also causing Lelouch's face to blush even more. It was bad enough that Nunnally thought Lelouch liked Kallen, but now that Milly and Nina are saying that she likes him as well is insane.

"Either you have all gone insane or hell is freezing over. I don't know if you guys understand, but Kallen hates me to no end." Lelouch tried explaining as he looked on at the Council which all gave Lelouch confused look, minus Shirley who was pounding hard on the pod Kallen was piloting, demanding the redhead face the consequences for liking her Lulu.

"Are you serious Lelouch? It's pretty obvious that Kallen likes you man." Rivalz stated with a wink as he tapped his friend's shoulder.

"I'm sorry Lelouch, but I have to agree. Kallen has a crush on you." Suzaku added on. And he wasn't the last one to say anything either.

"And if you don't think that's enough, I have proof. When I last talked to Kallen in private, we sort of had a girl to girl chat and in the process I pried open her mind and discovered she likes you. I even have it recorded." Milly said valiantly as she gave Lelouch an evil smirk. Lelouch now knew that not only did Kallen like him, but Milly was going to use this to her advantage. Blackmailing was the first thing that came to Lelouch's mind.

And as Shirley was dragged away by the arcade's security for damaging property, Kallen's pod opened up and out came the red headed beauty who had worked up quite the sweat. This caused her hair to stick to her forehead and as she moved her head side to side to get some air in her red locks, Lelouch couldn't help, but notice the beauty Kallen held. However he did his best to ignore staring at her and he focused on the reason he had came there in the first place.

"Kallen. You've been playing all day. Don't you think it's time to give it a rest until tomorrow?" Lelouch asked as he was hoping she'd listen to his words.

"I'm not giving it a rest until I get that knightmare! And besides, I've been doing well so far. Why not continue my streak? How about you go an do some gambling with me as your Ace in the hole? You can make some extra cash." Kallen said rudely as she reentered the pod to enter another match. Little did she know was that her customized Glasgow would prove no match against Hannibal's Ghost.

* * *

**Yōroppa Arcade, Kawasaki Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Tuesday, September 26th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

"So Akito. Do you think you have a chance of winning?" asked Ryo Sayama as he followed his friend's lead toward an open pod.

"Of course. I can't lose. That's now why I spent all my time researching and preparing. Now that I'm ready for combat, I can begin showing myself to the world." Akito explained as he entered the pod and activated the machine with the USB key he had recieved.

"Alright then, I'll be rooting for you from out here." Ryo said as the pod closed shut. With that he began his evil little plan to start making some cash. He walked over to a nearby monitor where Akito's match would show and he quickly said, "Alright everyone! I bet you all five hundred bucks that my man _BlueWyvern_ will kick some serious ass and win this match!" Ryo yelled out loud causing some guys to laugh at him.

"Really? He's up against the _CrimsonLotus_! She hasn't lost a match yet! She's 20-0! I'll take up your bet and raise you seven hundred!" said a cocky older guy who had been working at the arcade.

"Bring it on!" Ryo said accepting the deal as the match began. The location was a French city which was surrounded by windmills. It was called Île de la Cité. And so the match was set. On one side was Akito Hyuga a.k.a. _BlueWyvern_ while on the other was Kallen Kouzuki a.k.a. _CrimsonLotus_. Two fierce Japanese pilots, each fighting for a different reason. One to share their existence and power with the world. The other to gain something that takes a 1 to a million chance to win.

And with the final countdown, the battle started. Kallen's red Glasgow sped through the city as she shot down other enemy Glasgows, leading a path of destruction. She also faced the European Panzer Hummels which had immense firepower, but limited accuracy and mobility, rendering them useless against a quicker and more effective Glasgow unit.

She shot at the enemy, having no problem in defeating anyone who dared defy her power. But that all ended with the appearance of something that shocked her to no end. Standing before her was a Gardmare, a knightmare even worse than the Panzer-Hummel machines. It was short, had claws for arms, and had a red orb staring at her rather than a factsphere.

"Are you serious? You honestly think you can take me on with that thing? Well you've got another thing coming!" Kallen yelled out as she sped forward, her rifle blasting away. However, the rain of fire was dodged quickly by the Gardmare as it moved quickly from side to side to avoid the gunfire while moving closer and closer to Kallen's Glasgow. Kallen quickly noticed that he was no ordinary pilot and she started speeding backwards to escape from the nearing knightmare. Seeing she was in more than she bargained for, Kallen asked for help from her teammates. However, she looked at her radar to see they were all destroyed by three enemy units. She turned around to see that they were the three Administrator Knightmares from before. The Gloucester's with Cornelia leading the trio. They stood in Cornelia's path with their capes flowing in the wind with their weapons at the ready to fight off Kallen should she come too near.

"Cornelia? You witch! Why do you keep interfering with my matches!?" Kallen demanded as she aimed her rifle at Cornelia's Gloucester.

"Because you are too cocky and you think of nothing, but your greedy ambition to gain a power never before seen. I don't understand what Zero sees in you. Whatever it is, I can't see it, because your rage and your greed blind my eyes. If you want to gain your goal, you must learn to control your emotions and your power, otherwise you are nothing, but a murderous monster." Cornelia said as she prepared to battle with Kallen, should she be attacked.

However, taking advantage of the distraction, Akito began firing upon Kallen from behind, damaging her frame severely and in turn also giving him an edge. Her machine's landspinners were heavily damaged, causing her mobility to decrease. With that in mind, Akito began circling around her frame, causing her to try and move to find and shoot his cockpit. However, he was much to quick due to her knightmare's current state. And before she knew it, the Gardmare was behind her with it's claw aimed at her cockpit. Kallen did her best to turn her machine around to hit the enemy frame away, but she wasn't fast enough. The Gardmare's claw impaled the side of her cockpit. She had finally lost and her winning streak crumbled with her loss. The game ended and the three Administrators left the game, leaving Akito victorious.

And back at the arcade, the blue haired pilot exited the pod to enter a large amount of cheering a swell as small bouts of anger. And the man who was happiest of all was Ryo who had managed to win more than he bargained for. He had gained up to 2000 dollars in cash thanks to his cockiness and his negotiation abilities.

"Hahaha my man! Gee Akito, I never knew you were so good at this game! We should do this again some time. Here." Ryo said handing Akito half of the cash he had won. "You deserve it. You did do half the work after all."

Akito looked at the bundle of money and he smiled as he left the crowd to go back and change into his school uniform since he had to go home and meet up with his brother, who would surely be wondering where he was right now. Shin could be a pain sometimes.

* * *

**Oriental Arcade,**** Omotesandō Mall, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

**Tuesday, September 26th, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Upon Kallen's loss, something strange had happened. Something they didn't expect. Due to the massive amount of energy her pod had been using throughout the day, it became unstable and the moment more energy was required to trigger the amount of g-force her machine received when being impaled, the end result was her pod being electrocuted. The electricity had surged through the pod, injuring Kallen. Suzaku, Lelouch, Rivalz, and some of the other Arcade staff had tried prying open the machine, despite the fact that electricity was running through it's metal.

They finally managed to open the machine and the electricity running the machine was cut and the entire Arcade was shut down momentarily. After a couple of seconds, Lelouch managed to get Kallen out of the pod and the electricity was brought back on. And while the staff tried fixing the machine, Lelouch held Kallen in his arms as he stared at her face which had slight burn marks. Her clothes were slightly torn and she was unconscious, but living.

"Kallen...someone, call an ambulance." Lelouch said calmly as he stared at the redhead laying in his hands.

Milly quickly called up 119 in order to get an ambulance to there as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, Lelouch just stared at Kallen as he thought about the kiss they had back when they were children. Lelouch tried talking to Kallen, despite her being knocked out.

"Kallen...do you remember? When we first met? When we made our promise? To be together no matter what? Do you remember when you...when you promised you'd be there for me? Do you? Kallen?" Lelouch asked quietly so nobody else could hear. He couldn't fight it anymore. Tears had begun streaming down his cheeks. He remembered the day as clear as day. When she kiss him and when they promised to be there for one another no matter what happened.

Despite it being something from 8 years ago, he couldn't help, but feel affected by it. Like it was something important to him. Just as important as his love for Nunnally and his friendship with Suzaku. He never knew that it had taken such a toll on him. And now he finally understood. That back then he had loved Kallen. And maybe to this day...those feelings still existed...

"I...remember..." said a faint voice. Lelouch was shocked as he stared down at Kallen wide eyed. Her eyes were starting to open slowly as she began to awake. "And...I meant it..." Kallen said as she sat up to touch Lelouch's lips. The scene shocked the Student Council around him. Kallen was publicly showing her affection toward Lelouch. And Lelouch couldn't help, but feel that this would become the gossip of school tomorrow.

* * *

**CEO Office, Infiniti Tower, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Tuesday, September 26th****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

"I see. So that's your report. Hmm...do you really believe that Kouzuki is not fit for the ?" Zero asked as he looked over the files that Cornelia gave him after her battle with Kallen Kouzuki, the _CrimsonLotus_. He had shared his thoughts over the pilot of the Guren with Cornelia and a few others, but she believed that Kallen wasn't worthy due to her extreme cockiness and uncontrolled power in battle.

"I believe she's far too immature for such a machine. Her skill is out of her control and she is overconfident. No good soldier would let things like skill get to their heads. And this is what happened with Kouzuki. If you believe she deserves the machine, then I won't argue with your decision, I am simply giving you my input." Cornelia said as she explained her view on the matter.

Zero couldn't help, but feel disappointed with Kallen. He'd really thought the famous _CrimsonLotus_ would be capable. But it seemed she wasn't ready. So he would have to find another candidate. It was a shame, but it had to be done. Someone else had to be found. And quick.

"Very well then. I'll start looking for a new pilot. You can leave the manner up to me. If Kouzuki can't prove her worth by weeks end, she won't receive the machine. Until then, relax and take a break. You've really been pushing yourself in order to find suitable pilots. Take a day off. I'll put Tohdoh on active duty while you're gone. And another thing. When is Euphemia coming in?" Zero asked curiously as he hadn't seen the pink haired girl in years.

"Euphie? I haven't put much thought into it. I've decided that she'll be going to Ashford Academy, but I don't know if she will be alright here in the company. Maybe it's best to leave her out of this project." Cornelia said as she thought about her younger sister, to whom she was a guardian.

"I see. Very well then. Thank you for your report. I need to talk to someone in private. If you don't mind." Zero said as he put the file she gave him away into a drawer and at the same time pulling out another file with the letter "K" on it.

Cornelia dismissed herself and after her departure, came in two people. One of them was a female who was wearing a maid's outfit. She had brown hair and brown eyes. Her name was Sayoko Shinozaki. And standing next to her was a man with turquoise hair and orange eyes. He was dressed in a flashy suit that reminded Zero of a noble, but he ignored it seeing as how Jeremiah Gottwald used to be a baron, before coming to Japan that is.

"So how was Ashford?" Zero asked as he took off his mask. He moved his long and messy black hair out of his crimson eyes so he could better see the two servants whom he'd known for years now.

"It was fine. I had a great time teaching and seeing your son again made me happy that he was still safe. However, he does like to slack in his academics. Similar to you." Jeremiah noted as he recalled their highschool days when Zero would skip out on class. "Now about the information I collected. I discovered that the Intelligence Tracer Program was located in their deepest and most hidden files. I managed to secure it before leaving the school, but the problem is that the key to activate the program remains at the school and I can't get to it due to it being in the Principals office. I asked Viletta if she could try and get it for me, but she hasn't had any luck so far." Jeremiah reported.

"I see. So that old man Ruben is still ticking huh? I guess we'll need to send in a special operative to retrieve it." Zero said as he opened the file on his desk. He began searching through the stack of papers and he puled out a sheet that had a photograph of a young man who was a Beta Tester for the company.

"Rolo Haliburton? But Zero, don't you think I could infiltrate it better than a 16 year old child?" asked Sayoko as she was willing to do anything for Zero.

"No. I need someone who can be there at all times without casting suspicion. He can infiltrate it better than anyone. And besides, he's an ex-burglar. He is fully capable of getting in and out without anyone noticing. I need you to enroll him and have Viletta support him at all times. Also, tell him if he finds anything related to the game, to bring it in. I have a feeling that Ashford has been poking their noses in our data files. For some reason the Vincent disappeared from our data and we need the prototype back as soon as possible. So send Rolo in." Zero finished as he took the piece of paper back ad stored it in it's file.

"What about the Knight-Giga Fortress? I thought you called me back here to begin testing it's mind control abilities." Jeremiah said as he thought about the risky project that Zero had wanted Jeremiah to accomplish. This project was based off of the Ragnarok Connection and the possibility of Jeremiah ending up like Zero's wife still existed.

"We're still working out the bugs. I don't want you ending up like..." Zero stopped before he could say her name. Every time he thought about her, Zero felt sadness as he felt he was responsible for not being able to save her. She was now lost in the deep recesses of the Jupiter Drive. If Rolo could get the key to activate the Intelligence Tracer Program, he could begin using it on the Jupiter Bits which were located in all special custom knightmares. The first one was installed in the Lancelot and the second one in the Guren. All of the other bits were given to the Development Division in order to install into the special machines so he could trace any source of the person he sought with the ITP. And then he would be one step closer to reviving her.

* * *

**Short huh? Sorry about that, but I didn't want to go into anymore detail regarding the K-Plan and I wanted to save the whole Guren thing for the next chapter. And sorry about the whole Lelouch x Kallen thing if it didn't go smoothly like I intended. Just know this is the beginning of a whole network of complicated relationships with Lelouch and Kallen's being the second, following Suzaku and his father. So I can't really say anything else without spoiling the future, so thanks for reading and please leave a review.**


	5. Stage 05: Zero's Threat

**Hello Everyone! So this story is getting more and more popular and I'm really getting into the story. Unlike stories where I follow the canon, in this world, I rule all. It's pretty awesome. Anyway, while I continue to write this, I will start updating both the CodeGeassFanon Wikia and my own RaiZeroFanon Wikia to put as much information as possible regarding this story out into the world. Know that this may take some time, so be patient and check regularly for my stories and for other Code Geass FanFics as well. So thanks for reading and leave a review!********  
**

* * *

**Tokyo General Hospital, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

******Tuesday, September 26th****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Azure eyes slowly opened and shut themselves tight after the bright lights entered her pupils. As she adjusted to the lighting of the room she was laying in, Kallen Kouzuki was able to figure out where she was. The hospital. As she shuffled around in the bed she was in, Kallen could feel a needle and tube in her left arm and wrapping of bandages over the right side of her chest and her right shoulder.

As she scanned the room, she saw that the room was empty, aside from the usual medical equipment and a television. To her right was a tray with some food sitting on a plate. While to her left, laying his head down near her legs was the black haired prince of Ashford Academy, Lelouch Lamperouge.

Kallen was slightly comforted by his presence, but she didn't understand why Lelouch was here. As a matter of fact, she didn't understand why she was here to begin with. As she looked on at the black haired genius, she began to remember what had happened before she had arrived. Back at the Oriental Arcade.

When she, for only a second, gave Lelouch a smooch on the lips. Her face turned red as she thought about it as well as why she did. She did have a crush on Lelouch for a while now, but she still didn't think that she would have the courage to share her feelings.

And now she would be the victim to Lelouch's fanbase.

But that all exited her mind when the head of the violet eyed genius moved slightly and with a yawn, Lelouch finally awoke. He carefully wiped anything that was in his eyes and he looked at Kallen with a smile. "You're awake, good. I'll let the others know." Lelouch said as he began to stand up and walk toward the door.

"W-Wait! What about what happened at-" Kallen started before being cut short by Lelouch who only put his index finger up to his lips. Kallen shut up and Lelouch said, "We can talk about that later. Right now you need to see your family. They've been worried since they heard about the incident."

With those words, Lelouch opened the door of the hospital room and he signaled for whomever was sitting outside to come in. And there sure were a lot of people.

First came in Kallen's mother, a brown haired lady with blue eyes which were of a slightly darker shade compared to Kallen's. Following after her was a male with hair similar to Kallen's, albeit a more faded shade of red and dark blue eyes similar to her mothers. His jaw was broad and he wore a black shirt with torn blue jeans and black boots. Following him were plenty of other people who were friends of the Kouzuki's, one of them being Shinchiro Tamaki, a staff member of the Oriental Arcade.

While Kallen spoke with her mother and her friends, Lelouch stayed in the hallway, standing against the wall. And from the room came out Naoto Kouzuki, Kallen's older brother whom Lelouch had only met once before long ago. And now it seemed that Naoto had something important to tell him.

"Why aren't you inside? You are her friend after all." Naoto said wanting Lelouch to enter the room and join in the conversation.

"No, I can talk to her later. What we have to discuss is private and I'd rather she not be embarrassed in front of her family and friends." Lelouch replied without looking at Naoto.

"Listen, I heard about what happened at the arcade from Tamaki. I heard about Kallen's obsession with that game, as well as the incident with the pod, and your interaction with my little sister." Naoto said, causing chills to go up Lelouch's spine as he was beginning to suspect that the older man would start beating Lelouch up for kissing his younger sister. "And I want to thank you for staying by her side. I couldn't expect anything more from you now that you've done all this. You came here with her in the ambulance, you helped with paper work, you even had Tamaki contact us. If it weren't for you, we wouldn't know about her condition until much later." And with that Naoto gave a respectful bow.

"I see. I would say your welcome, but I'd rather not. I did what I did, because Kallen is my friend. I am just as concerned over her safety as you are and it was only right to be there for her when she needed assistance." Lelouch said, not wanting anybody to owe him favors, especially Naoto of all people. From what he heard, Naoto wasn't exactly on the right side of the law.

"Well if I can be of any assistance, please let me know." Naoto said as he really wanted to express his gratitude.

"Hmm...actually, you can..." Lelouch said as he began to think over what he could do with Naoto's help for Kallen. "Now this may not sound like the best idea, but I think I have a way of cheering Kallen up, as well as ending her obsession with the game. Are you willing to help?" Lelouch asked Naoto who nodded with a big smirk on his face with a look of determination.

* * *

**Fuchu Prison, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

******Wednesday, September 27th****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Inside of the Fuchu Prison, a private meeting was being held between a dangerous prisoner and a powerful man. Sitting on one end of a metal table in a chair was a man with long red hair which went in several directions due to the lack of combing said wild hair. This man was strapped down in a prisoner suit which was usually given to the insane, but top prisoners like this man needed these restraints to avoid anything from happening.

Sitting across from him was a man in a black tuxedo which had golden lining. His black hair was long and was combed to one side to avoid covering of his fire red eyes which were darker than the bright red hair of the prisoner. This man was Zero. And sitting across from him was his longtime friend since college, James Stadtfeld, former head of the Stadtfeld Family and the Stadtfeld Conglomerate, which was now under a new CEO who had close ties with Zero. He was saving the seat for the day that James Stadtfeld was let out of prison.

And according to Zero, that day would come soon.

"So, according to an official report, one of our pods malfunctioned and electrocuted a female player who was almost fried." Zero stated, wanting to get to the important business between them.

"And what does that have to do with me?" asked James coldly as he didn't care for anything that didn't relate to him.

"The victim was the seventeen year old Kallen Kouzuki." Zero said, causing James' eyes to widen in shock and fear. His daughter was hurt badly, and by something his best friend had made no less!

"However, she only suffered minor bruises and scrapes and is being treated at the Tokyo General Hospital, free of charge. She is also being watched over by your family and a Mr. Lelouch Lamperouge." Zero said, relaxing James' emotions.

"I see. That boy of yours is a trustworthy man. It seems he is following in your steps. I wonder if he'll ever find out about your master plan." James said as he thought about the K-Plan that Zero had set up.

"He may. Depending on the moves he makes and the hand he plays. Besides, I think he deserves to know the truth. And don't you worry James, the truth will be revealed." Zero said as he thought about the secret plan he had set up with a young man by the name of Naoto Kouzuki. To prove the innocence of James Stadtfeld. However, Zero couldn't be the one to do it due to the fact that he had been dead for seven years. But if Naoto could present the evidence, and with a proper jury, James could be released.

"When? When will this truth be revealed? In another seven years? In fourteen? In all the time I've been here, nothing's changed and nothing will change. I am stuck here for life and I can't be freed legally." James said as he had accepted that reality years ago.

"Soon James. I promise you. I will not let you rot in here another year. It isn't fair to you nor your family. Just give me time. You'll be free. But to do that, I must get back. For I have a meeting with your son." Zero said standing up from his seat.

"Very well then. I'll put my faith in you, man of miracles." James said as his friend gave him a pat on the shoulder before leaving the prison. And if Naoto played his cards right, things would turn out in James' favor. But what they didn't know was that Lelouch had other plans.

* * *

**CEO's Office, Infiniti Tower, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

******Wednesday, September 27th****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

Zero was sitting in his office for an hour now and the prodigal son of the Stadtfeld Family had not yet arrived. And in that time, Zero learned that a new candidate had been selected for the new prototype machine. That meant that in two days, the new machine would be released and they could continue into the plan.

But before that could happen, Naoto Kouzuki had arrived for his meeting with the CEO of _Project Knightmare_.

The red haired man was wearing a proper suit for this meeting, but in his hair he still wore his trademark red headband.

"I see you haven't changed much, Naoto Kouzuki. How are things?" Zero asked as he looked at the newcomer from behind his mask.

"Good. And I see you haven't changed either. Your mask still stands." Naoto countered causing Zero to only laugh at that comment.

"True enough. Now that you're here, we can talk serious. Over the past seven years I have kept your father from facing the death penalty and I have provided you with the resources to find the necessary information to prove your father's innocence. In return, you've not only found out the truth on your own, but you've created a believable and powerful case so you can provide a testimony worthy enough to set him free. And now that you have the proper materials, you can submit your case. I have managed to reorganize your evidence in a suitable fashion and have managed to get you a suitable lawyer. Now when you go in there, I need you to do something for me. You will provide me information regarding the names and opinions of the jury. That way, I can ensure your victory." Zero said as he played with the pieces of his Chess board which was always set up on his desk.

"I see. But isn't this against the sense of justice?" Naoto asked as he thought over the corrupt actions of bribing and/or scaring a jury into finding the defendant innocent.

"You clearly don't understand much then. There was no justice when your father was wrongly prosecuted and sentenced to death. There was no justice when the Stadtfeld Conglomerate was ripped away from the hands of the Kouzuki's and the deaths of the Lamperouges were left unanswered. Was justice around when Genbu Kururugi tried to set up a puppet government under his control by using his son? No justice exists in Japan. That is why I have taken the liberty of destroying this corrupt system and setting up justice as it needs to be seen. Otherwise, more families and more people will be hurt. As a result, I will ensure that justice stands tall." Zero said as he placed the black king piece down onto the board.

"Very well then. I'll submit the case today. Thank you for your help Zero." Naoto said as he stood up to leave.

"It's the least I can do." Zero said as Naoto left the office. Zero began thinking about the events to come. Not only was the K-Plan progressing smoothly, but his friend would soon be freed and to make things even better, Zero was finally making contact with a good friend of his and his former rival. A man named Schneizel Eleria.

* * *

**Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

******Wednesday, September 27th****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

As Lelouch sat in class, looking over the plan he had set up that morning, he couldn't help, but overhear conversations being had during their Study Period. People were talking about the incident at the Oriental Arcade, as well as his relationship with Kallen, the Crimson Lotus of Ashford.

And he couldn't help, but sense the source of anger and jealousy coming from the other side of the room where Shirley was talking to Rivalz, Nina, and Milly. Meanwhile, Suzaku had arrived to class and he sat next to Lelouch and like everyone else in the school, he began talking about yesterday's events.

"So, how is she?" Suzaku asked, not wanting to mention her name.

"She's fine. The doctor says she's recovering quicker than expected. She'll be out within a week." Lelouch explained as he remembered the doctor's diagnosis.

"I see. What about her family? Can they cover the costs?" Suzaku asked as he wondered about their financial issues.

"They'll be fine. According to her brother, _Project Knightmare_ is covering the costs and they are providing a bonus to cover any post-hospital costs." Lelouch explained as he looked over the notebook in his hands. He had set up an elaborate strategy for this Friday. The day of the new knightmare's release. Also the day he would defeat Cornelia Lithuania.

"That's good. By the way, how's Nunnally doing?" Suzaku asked curiously as he hadn't seen his young friend in days.

"She's recovering quicker than I thought. She'll be back by tomorrow at the earliest. She also said that an important friend of hers is coming back to school here at Ashford. A girl named Alice Eleria. Apparently she's returning from a trip to Britannia along with her adoptive sisters." Lelouch explained as he looked at the sketches he had made. They were plans for an ambush as well as distractions and other types of formations.

"What are those?" Suzaku asked as he peaked at the drawings, which were horribly drawn.

"They're plans. For this Friday's mission. And I need your help Suzaku. I want you to help me defeat Cornelia Lithuania." Lelouch requested as he looked at his friend in the eyes.

"What? The Administrator? Lelouch, we couldn't even when Kallen was fit to play and now that she's not here, we don't stand a chance." Suzaku said as he remembered the time they were slaughtered by Cornelia's forces.

"This time is different. This time, I have a plan." Lelouch said as he smirked widely. Suzaku couldn't help, but feel that things may finally be turning around in their favor.

* * *

******Oriental Arcade,**** Omotesandō Mall, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Friday, September 29th****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

Lelouch entered the pod he had secured and he activated the machine. He quickly logged in and he entered the same match as Suzaku and the numerous other people he had recruited. "All forces will follow my directions exactly! Otherwise, we will never defeat the enemy!" After receiving a positive response, the match began and Lelouch prepared himself to face Cornelia once more. All he had to do was wait for her appearance, because according to his theory, Cornelia must have been sent to keep an eye on the Lancelot.

And if that were true, then that meant she would appear yet again to face them. As the match began the final countdown to start, Lelouch began talking to Suzaku.

"You will lure in Cornelia and her alone. Lead her to the designated point and our roof forces will isolate you and her. Once that happens, unleash everything you have Suzaku." Lelouch said as the match began and their knightmares began going off to the designated positions. Luckily for Lelouch, he had managed to convince Naoto's friends to assist in this mission in order to achieve what he believed Kallen had deserved. And with their group of nine, they had a chance at defeating the Witch.

Lelouch however, waited in a lone tower looking over the spot where Cornelia would be defeated. It was an isolated area where a pathway lead to a parking lot surrounded by apartment buildings. It was the perfect place for a trap. And if all went well, his victory would be assured.

And with that Suzaku began his phase of the mission, find and lure in Cornelia Lithuania and lead her followers into the path of their allies. And in the corner of the screen, the words which announced the arrival of five Administrators had finally appeared.

"Prepare yourself, Cornelia!" Suzaku said as he tried locating the purple colored Gloucester. However, Lelouch voiced his reaction over the radio.

"Suzaku, something's wrong. There are five instead of three. Be careful out there. This could be worse than we initially thought." Lelouch stated as he prepared for the worst.

"Right." Suzaku answered as he continued to evade enemy fire throughout the map whilst looking for the custom knightmares. And he found them quickly. In an arrowhead formation, five knightmares came towards him, but they were not Gloucesters like Lelouch had expected. Four of them were the same model while the lead unit, colored black, was slightly different.

"Suzaku Kururugi!" yelled out an all too familiar voice. Suzaku's eyes widened in shock at the arrival of the last man he had ever expected. His guardian and god father, Kyoshiro Tohdoh.

"Tohdoh-san!" Suzaku replied as he stopped in his tracks at the arrival of his former master.

"Suzaku, I am here to test your strength in battle! Don't hold back your skills!" Tohdoh yelled out as his machine released a special sword with thrusters located in the back of the blade. Suzaku countered the incoming vertical slash, by releasing his machine's MVS blades to block by crossing over his red swords to hold Tohdoh's sword in place.

"You're fast. But I have the advantage in numbers!" Tohdoh yelled out as his allied unit, the Four Holy Swords, came in towards Suzaku with their own blades which appeared to have a revolving blade on the swords. These four piloted the same knightmare, the Type-3F Gekka, a newly made unit for the usage of Administrators only and more specifically, for Tohdoh's unit.

"Numbers mean nothing when I have firepower!" Suzaku replied as he activated the Lancelot's four slash harkens whilst reversing at full speed. The wrist and hip mounted harkens fired off and they made impact with the heads of the four Gekka units, causing them to halt their advance while Suzaku's allied forces came in to distract them and allow Suzaku to lure in their target, despite it having changed.

"Suzaku, bring him into the lot! All roof forces, prepare to open fire!" Lelouch yelled out as he himself advanced onto the battlefield where the parking lot was located. And without another minute passed, Suzaku arrived with Tohdoh's custom Gekka following suit.

"I see. You lured me in for a two on one match. No matter!" Tohdoh yelled as he activated the thrusters on his sword to slash horizontally at Lelouch's Sutherland unit, which he had gained earlier that week.

Lelouch blocked the attack by activating his machine's stun tonfas which managed to hold the sword in place, but only just due to the power and force behind the sword. But before the sword could break through his tonfa, Lelouch gave the order.

"Open fire! Isolate this area and destroy the Administrator!" Lelouch yelled out. From above, several long range knightmares appeared, mainly Panzer-Hummels and Glasgows with missile launchers. Without hesitation, Lelouch's forces opened fire and began raining down explosions on Tohdoh. He did his best to dodge the incoming attacks, but this was stopped by Lelouch who got in close with his Sutherland and he managed to wrap his slash harkens around Tohdoh's Gekka, stopping it from moving as quickly.

"Shoot Suzaku! You have to do it!" Lelouch yelled out since Suzaku wasn't firing his rifle because of Lelouch's close range with Tohdoh's knightmare. But instead of arguing, he opened fire with his VARIS Rifle and the blasts, combined with the cover fire form above, destroyed both Tohdoh and Lelouch simultaneously.

And with that, the game came to it's end.

Lelouch's plan succeeded, despite their target not being who they intended. And once that was all over, Lelouch exited his pod to receive a warm welcome from other players and arcade goers who watched the fight. Everyone was giving him high fives, pats on the back, cheers, and compliments at his success at defeating the Administrator.

But out of the crowd came a man dressed in a suit with two other companions. These three looked menacing and one of them was carrying a briefcase in hand. He cut through the crowd by yelling out, "I am with _Project Knightmare_!" Everyone was silenced quickly and a path was made for these men. The lead man handed the case over to Lelouch and said, "Congratulations _DemonKing_. You have defeated our newest Administrator and have shown great courage and effort in your recent battle. Your actions have caught the attention of our CEO and in return for a fantastic match, you have won a gift from Zero. A special USB which contains a special knightmare as well as your own personal suit. Enjoy your new machine." said the man before leaving with his two assistants.

With the men gone, everyone continued congratulating Lelouch and his team which consisted of Kallen's friends and her brother, Naoto, who agreed to assist in this mission as a thank you for Lelouch helping out his sister when she was in danger.

Now Lelouch had something important to take care of. A visit to a good friend as well as an important chat that has been put off for far too long.

* * *

******Tokyo General Hospital, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Friday, September 29th****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

Lelouch walked into the hospital room Kallen was staying at and he saw she was sitting up in her bed while watching television. She was still wrapped in bandages in some areas of her body and she seemed to be in a very gloomy mood. However, Lelouch's appearance lightened her expression since she finally had some company.

Lelouch smiled as he walked further into the room with a briefcase in hand. Lelouch couldn't help, but chuckle at Kallen's confusion regarding the appearance of the case. When Lelouch finally sat down on the chair next to her bed he laid the case on his lap and asked, "So how are you doing?"

"I'm fine, thanks. But what's inside of that?" Kallen asked as she pointed at the black case.

"This is a gift from me to you. Today I...I went into a match against the Administrator and we won. However, it wasn't Cornelia. We fought against someone else, against Kyoshiro Tohdoh and four others." Lelouch said as he recalled the appearance of the different people.

"Tohdoh? Suzaku's god father? But what is he doing working for _Project Knightmare_?" Kallen asked shocked that he would join the company that injured Kallen with their faulty equipment.

"I don't know, not even Suzaku knew. Regardless, I managed to defeat him and I managed to win a prize today. Since I won't be using it often, I might as well give it to the person who deserves it most." Lelouch said as he opened up the case, revealing what was inside. Laying there was a pair of clothing which looked like a red version of Suzaku's pilot uniform. And sitting next to it was a red USB key which looked like a red and white feather.

"Lelouch, this is...how did you get this?" Kallen asked wide eyed as she picked up the pilot's uniform.

"Well it was coming out today. So I figured that if I manage dot defeat an Administrator, I could win it." Lelouch said as he thought about the plan he set up earlier that week with Naoto.

"But how did you get the Administrator to fight you?" Kallen asked confused that he managed to fight an Admin once again.

"Well for some reason, they've been keeping an eye on Suzaku's Lancelot. They've appeared every time Suzaku uses his machine. So I used that to my advantage." Lelouch stated, revealing another factor in his grand master plan.

"B-But you earned it! You won! I don't deserve this!" Kallen said as she tried giving Lelouch the pilot's suit back, not wanting to accept the gift and owe him anything in the future.

"No I don't. I don't need any fancy machine. You however, you showed your determination to win it by playing the game repeatedly and honing your skills. Meaning I'm not worthy for such a powerful knightmare. It's yours. Please, take it." Lelouch said as he gave her the case to examine.

"T-Thank you, Lelouch. I really appreciate it." Kallen thanked as her face turned a light shade of red. Kallen folded up the pilot suit and put it back in it's spot and she pulled out the USB key, which was slightly stuck, causing her to pull harder and in turn she pulled out the foam that was holding everything in place. And when Kallen pulled out the foam, she saw something underneath it. Something extra.

"What's that?" Kallen asked as she removed the rest of the foam covering revealing a second layer underneath which held a black and gold pilot's suit and a black and golden King shaped USB key.

"What the hell? Another key?" Lelouch asked as he pulled out the key, examining it.

"That is the gift that you earned, Mr. Lamperouge." said a familiar voice. Lelouch turned around to see that standing there was his former science teacher, Jeremiah Gottwald who was wearing the usual black suit he wore when at school.

"Mr. Gottwald? What are you doing here?" Lelouch asked confused by his former teacher's appearance.

"I am not Mr. Gottwald. I am Jeremiah Gottwald, agent for _Project Knightmare_ and server of Zero. I was sent here to inform you about your prize. You won a special knightmare for yourself, Lelouch. You are holding the key for the legendary Gawain. Meanwhile, the promotional knightmare is just a gift from Zero to Miss Kouzuki for being injured earlier this week. Please, accept it as an apology from Zero himself." Jeremiah said as he gave them a bow.

"Thank you, I guess." Kallen said slightly confused by his actions.

"Thank you. Zero will be most please to learn of your gratitude. Also, know full well that these machines are special. They are not to be given away, copied, or hacked into. Otherwise, consequences will be brought down upon you." Jeremiah said coldly before making his exit.

"So we each have a special machine now. That's good." Kallen said with a smile.

As Lelouch looked at the red head, he tried to shift the conversation back to the important topic. About his relationship with Kallen. However, she looked too happy for him to bring up the odd topic. Maybe he could wait. Maybe Lelouch could take his time and wait until another day. Because right now, he didn't want to take that happiness away.

* * *

******Tokyo International Airport, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Saturday, September 30th****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

Zero was standing near a private hangar at Tokyo International Airport as he awaited the arrival of a special group of individuals. He was wearing a black suit as well as black sunglasses to at least cover his identity. His long black hair was messy, but he tried his best to make it straight for the arrival of a special partner of his. Finally, the private jet that landed at the runway ten minutes earlier had taxied toward their hangar. The jet turned off it's engines and the door opened and a stairwell came down from the plane.

And from the plane came down a tall man in a white suit which matched his appearance well, just like Zero's clothing matched him well. Coming down from the jet came another five people, two of them being slightly shorter than the tall man. The total six walked toward Zero and his men, each with a smile. However the one with the biggest smile was the tall man with blonde hair and calm light purple eyes.

"Schneizel Eleria. It's been too long." Zero said as he shook the hands of his older friend.

"Zero. It's good to see you as well. And look, I brought the entire family." Schneizel said as he presented the three young girls who appeared to be in their early teen years and an older girl who must have been in her later teen years. "Allow me to introduce my daughters. Alice, Dalque, Lucretia, and Sancia. These four are your Irregular Unit." Schneizel presented.

"I see. I look forward to their performance in our new machines. With business aside, it's good to see you all. You too, Euphie." Zero said as he looked at the pink haired girl who was wearing a nice white dress.

"It's nice to see you too, Uncle." Euphie stated as she looked at the tall man who smiled at her remembrance of their family relations. It was true, Euphemia was his niece, as was Cornelia and Schneizel. They were his family. They were the family he hadn't seen in years. They were the offspring of his sisters who no longer live in this world and he is all that's left from his generation of the Lamperouges.

"Shall we go then? Cornelia has been dying to see you. And we have business to conduct." Zero said as he lead them all to the nearby black limo which drove them off to Ashford Academy to enroll these kids into their new school as well as pay a visit to an old man.

* * *

******Ashford Academy, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Saturday, September 30th****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

The group all walked onto the campus of the school where Cornelia was waiting along with Jeremiah who had a young teenaged boy standing at his side who had light brown hair as well as purple eyes.

"So everyone has gathered. Everyone go enroll. I have business to tend to." Zero said as he walked into the school building and began heading to the principal's office. After managing to convince the secretary that he was a friend, he entered the office and saw the old man, Ruben K. Ashford, sitting at his desk. He had his eyes on a piece of paper before him and without looking up he said, "I thought I told you to not enter! I'm busy!"

"Well I'm a busy man too, but I still find time for friends." Zero said as he sat down before Ruben. The voice caused a chill to go up Ruben's spine and he looked up at Zero like he was staring at a ghost. A ghost that had been haunting him for decades.

"D-Dash? I-It can't be...you're dead." Ruben said with a stutter as he tried his best to keep his composure, despite his face having turned a pale color.

"Only legally." Zero said as he crossed his leg over the other to get comfortable.

"It's nice to see that you're alive and well Dash!" Ruben said as he faked a smile.

"I can't say the same for you. I wish you were in that explosion seven years ago instead of my wife. I lost everything I had back then. And then my friend was imprisoned. And to make matters worse, you stole all surviving technology from Kamine Island. You took what I desperately needed." Zero stated as his face began to grow an expression of anger and hatred, just as his voice became more venomous.

"I took your research into safety! I even took care of your family in your absence! I did what you couldn't do! I gave your children a home!" Ruben yelled out frustrated at the accusations that Zero was making.

"Really? Then where are they now? Are they still here? In your care? Or are they in a special set of apartments that I own? Do they have access to a special bank account that I set up? How dare you try and accuse me of not being able to care for my children. I am protecting them from the shadows while I try and fix this whole mess that you, Genbu Kururugi, and all of your allies set up!" Zero yelled out as he stood up and angrily put down his fists onto the desk before him.

"Listen...I'm sorry. I'm sorry about Caroline. I'm sorry about what happened at Kamine Island. But you have to understand. I was in my own predicament. I was in an economic crisis and Genbu ended it." Ruben said as he calmed his voice down.

"And I ended Genbu. And I promise you this Ashford...I will end you." Zero said as he exited the room, slamming the door behind him hard and leaving behind Ruben in a shocked state.

As Zero began exiting the school he took off his glasses and wiped back his hair as he looked up at the blue sky. What he didn't know was that an Ashford Academy student was walking along one of the hallways of his school and as he looked out the glass window, he quickly noticed someone down on the school grounds. A man dressed in a suit whow as running his hands through his hair. The man turned toward this student's direction and his face was visible, shocking said student.

Lelouch was more than surprised to see the face of his deceased father, standing on the grounds of his school. Lelouch dropped the box he was carrying and he began knocking hard on the window, calling out his father's name who couldn't hear him as he left the school. As he left behind his son standing against the glass window, he never knew that his absence had caused a storm of tears to fall down the face of his son who in his wildest dreams had never expected to see the face of a ghost.

* * *

**So what'd you think? Bad or good? Sorry about the short action scene, but in all honesty I was kind of rushing this chapter. Regardless, I still managed to end the Guren Arc and I even added in Lelouch's winning of the Gawain. I felt that with his efforts in defeating an Admin, he deserved something. And I even set up the arrival of Schneizel as well as Euphemia and the Irregulars. Let me just say that alot more people will be making appearances as well as more knightmare frames. Be sure to check out the CodeGeassFanon Wiki which has new information regarding this story as well as characters and knightmares. I'll be sure to update as often as possible and please leave a review.**


	6. Stage 06: Hacked Game

**Hello Everyone! So I was stuck on this for a bit, but I thought of something and decided to go with it. I think it's time we took a break from the Tokyo Settlement, and went to visit the casts of Akito The Exiled and Oz The Reflection. Although this isn't based around the main cast, it is still important to the story, so be sure to read. If you want more information about the knightmares in this chapter and the people mentioned, visit the Code Geass Wiki as well as the Code Geass Fanon Wiki which should be updated as soon as possible with more KBT information. Thanks and please enjoy!********  
**

* * *

**CEO's Office, ****Infiniti Tower********, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Saturday, September 30th****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

As Zero went through his usual emails, he received a message from his Head of Intelligence, Diethard Reid who was in command of the Intel Division at _Project Knightmare_. The message read:

_To: Zero_

_From: Diethard Reid_

_ It seems the recent victory made by the force that overwhelmed Kyoshiro Tohdoh and the Four Holy Swords has become an internet sensation. Recordings of the match have been found all over the internet and there is even a page on Biglobe which shows the people's support for this group. Apparently they are being referred to as the "Black Knights" and they have gained a following of almost 100,000 users. It seems that the fans of the game like it when a group like this pops up to defeat the 'evil' Administrators. Now there are reports of more and more groups forming similar to this one. It seems another step has been taken to realizing the K-Plan. All we need to do now is to steadily release the remaining knightmares into the general public. That is all for today's report._

After reading through the message, Zero immediately began searching for this so called "Black Knights". Because if it truly was the same group that defeated Tohdoh and his men, then that meant that it'd be far easier to keep an eye on them and he wouldn't have to resort to interference by Administrators all the time. In fact, not too long ago he had been notified by Andreas Darlton of a special proposal he had.

Very recently, Andreas Darlton proposed a special unit that could serve as workers for the Administrators so that way the Admins could focus on the more important things like hacking, modifications, and the like while they kept a close eye on the special knightmares, or now more specifically, the Black Knights.

And this group consisted of Andreas' five adoptive sons who were avid gamers. They loved gaming and they were good at it and according to Darlton, they were naturals at the game. This made them the perfect candidates for such a group that could oppose the Black Knights. And besides, it could create an intense rivalry which they could use for their upcoming project.

Without wasting another minute, Zero looked at the new Black Knight page and he saw that people were posting comments on it and were even submitting applications to join the group. It seemed everyone wanted in on this powerful team. Hell there was even a list of the members along with information regarding their knightmares. It seemed that whoever was doing this was trying to publicize the group.

"Very well then." Zero said as he pushed a button on the phone that sat on his desk. After waiting for some ringing, he heard Andreas' voice on the other end.

"Yes Zero?" he asked wanting to be of any service to his incredibly powerful and influential boss.

"I decided to accept your offer and establish the Glaston Knights in order to counter the recent creation of the Black Knights. Make sure yours boys are ready to handle the job by tomorrow. We'll have everything set up for them by then. Also, tell Cornelia to begin searching for new pilots in the Ichikawa Region and have Tohdoh go to the Kawasaki Region. We need newer pilots as soon as possible." Zero said as he tried to get everything done in one swoop.

"Yes sir. I'll get on it right away and thank you Zero. You don't know how much I appreciate this." Andreas thanked before ending the call and following the orders given to him. Meanwhile, Zero was left thinking over the various things that were going on right now. Recently he had sent Rolo Haliburton, Beta-Tester and former criminal in order to infiltrate Ashford Academy and get his hands on the precious data they needed. Not only that, but their newest unit, the Irregulars, had arrived along with their adoptive father, Schneizel Eleria, who was Zero's closest rival.

And to add fuel to the fire, Cornelia's younger sister, Euphie, had arrived to attend Ashford Academy. And that wasn't all. The sister unit of the Lancelot needed to find a pilot and he also needed to finish production of the Knight-Giga Fortress Project. So many things were going on all at once and that wasn't even half of it. At times like this, Zero really wished he could sleep in. But he had no time to rest. He could not and would not waver in his journey. The K-Plan was top priority.

* * *

******Ashford Academy, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Saturday, September 30th****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

Lelouch was sitting in the Student Council room and he was sitting at the table along with Suzaku and Shirley who were the only ones remaining since their weekend Student Council work ended early thanks to Milly getting bored. Lelouch was found on his knees, hitting the glass window in the hallway while tears streamed down his face. Suzaku and Shirley had never seen him like this before so they helped him back to the Student Council room and they began asking questions, number one being, "What happened?"

Lelouch looked up at Suzaku who asked the question and he tried to find the words to describe what he saw, but he couldn't get them out into the air. It was as if his throat was choking up like a child who has stage fright.

"Calm down Lulu. Just try and relax and tell us what you saw out there." Shirley said as she tried helping her friend and crush get through whatever it was that he needed help getting through. Lelouch tried to calm down his heart rate by breathing a little slower than he was as he tried his best to get his bearings and try and get in a more calm mood. By the time he had finally gotten in a better state, he was able to explain what he saw, or more specifically, who he saw.

"I was walking down the hall and I...I looked out the window and I saw a man down on the school grounds. He was wearing a black suit and was leaving the school. I didn't think much of it, until he turned around...I saw his face...I saw his eyes...I'm sure it was him...there's no way I could've been dreaming it." Lelouch said as he thought about the face of the man who died seven years ago.

"Who's face? What are you talking about Lulu? Who?" Shirley asked confused by his choice of words as if he saw a monster or a serial killer.

As Lelouch tried to explain it, Suzaku began thinking of Lelouch'c facial expression since he'd seen it before. Only once in the past had he seen it. It was on August 11th, 2010 a.t.b., the day after the Shinjuku Island explosion. That was the day Lelouch found out about the deaths of his parents. It was then that Suzaku saw this facial expression and now he understood why Lelouch was making a big deal out of this. Why he was panicking. Why he was having a hard time to explain what he saw. Or rather, who he saw.

"Lelouch. Did you see...your father?" Suzaku asked, wanting confirmation, to which Lelouch simply nodded in response. Suzaku's eyes widened greatly at the reply and Shirley was only confused by it. She never knew anything regarding Lelouch's family aside from Nunnally, so she didn't understand the situation, but Lelouch began explaining it.

"I saw my father, who died seven years ago. I saw him walking away from the school and I saw him leave in a limo. He was dressed nice and he had a nice car. If he's been living the fancy life all this time, then why didn't he contact us? Why didn't he try to see us?" Lelouch asked as he thought about Nunnally and how she would feel if she found out about this. Lelouch would have to keep it s secret. Because if he told Nunnally about what he saw, she might break down emotionally. And that was the last thing he wanted. To see his sister's smile disappear.

"What are you going to do?" Suzaku asked as he too thought about the fragile state of Lelouch's younger sister.

"I can't tell her. If I do she'll...she'll...I don't know what she'll do...but I can't take any chances. You won't tell anyone about this alright?" Lelouch requested and his two friends nodded as they accepted. They promised to keep their mouths shut about the whole ordeal. But that didn't mean that someone else wouldn't.

* * *

**Administrator Division, ****Infiniti Tower********, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Sunday, October 1st****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

Zero had finally arrived at the Administrator Division of the building where he would meet the newly formed Glaston Knights which would take up the role of keeping an eye on the Lancelot, the Guren, and the secretly released Gawain. If he could make sure they were kept in check and were ready for the next phase of the plan, then this meant that they could move on to other pilots who would wield these special knightmares. And Zero was hoping that this group was up for the job because he needed everything he could get from the Admins when it came to finding new pilot candidates.

Standing before him was a line of five individuals who all looked difference in appearance, aside from their matching uniforms, and standing next to them was Andreas Darlton, their father. These five were made up of a blonde haired man, one with indigo hair, a third with curly brown hair, the fourth with long straight red hair and the last with short grey hair. They all wore maroon shaded pilot suits with black chest padding and golden shoulder pads. And to finalize their appearance they had black masks with a red V-shapes visor on them to mark their place as an independent unit. It seemed Andreas put a lot of thought into his sons appearance.

They all stood at attention and Zero just looked over them, intrigued by their looks as well as their personal information that he read in the file he was sent the day before. If their names were put into the same order as their current line up, they would spell out not only the first five letters of the English alphabet, but they would also spell out the word "Glaston" with their middle initials, minus the vowels.

A very interesting group. Now they would be put to the ultimate test. "Very well then. If you are as strong as your father recommends, you will be put into a battle against the Black Knights. You will be given your own personal force of _Project Knightmare_ employees to follow your lead as you head into battle against this formidable opponent. Know that you shall be tested on your strategy and your combat skills. I hope you live up the expectations your father has set for you." Zero said before leaving them alone as he went off to visit a special someone.

Upon his exit, the Glaston Knights sighed as they relaxed a bit more due to their nervousness around the CEO. They were stiff and scared of him, but now that they saw his nature and the chance he gave, they had the opportunity to prove themselves worthy to be _Project Knightmare_ members.

And as their father stared at them proudly, he couldn't help, but think about the consequences should they fail. What if they lost? Would they be fired? Would Andreas face penalties for wasting the CEO's time? Only their actions would tell when the fight came, whenever that would be.

* * *

**Developer Division, ****Infiniti Tower********, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Sunday, October 1st****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

Lloyd looked on at the screen in amazement as he looked over the various files of his subordinate who was busy working on a special stand alone project which was authorized by Zero himself. Apparently, Sophie Randall was working on a separate special knightmare project which involved not only fast and powerful machines, but also the complete synchronization of the machine's electrical waves and the pilot's brain waves. Should they fall into synchronization, the power of the machine would increase dramatically. And it seemed that she wasn't the only one who was working on this project. Unfortunately for Lloyd, things in the Developer Division had gotten a bit more crowded with the arrival of another team under the authorization of Zero and the command of Schneizel Lithuania, head of the Irregular Division, which worked on it's own as a way of testing out pilot's skills in a knightmare.

But that didn't concern him since they were barely starting. What he was interested in was this W-0X Project and it's various machines, which Sophie was kind enough to allow Lloyd to take a look at since she was on her coffee break.

As she watched her fellow Developer gawk at her various technologies, her mood lightened up even more when she saw the arrival of her Sub-Developer, a girl from Kawasaki Private Academy named Anna Clement. She was a young girl with long light purple hair as well as light green eyes and an innocent face which would usually brighten up into one of excitement whenever she worked on the W-0X Project which was funded by her family's company, Clement Enterprises, which is why the project was mostly independent and secret compared to the main companies projects.

"So this is your protege eh? My name is Lloyd Asplund, head of the Camelot Project. It's nice to know that someone as young as you is smart enough to come up with these genius inventions." Lloyd said as he praised her work. However, her shy personality not only caused her to stammer at his appraisal, but it caused her to become embarrassed that her superior would show off her secret machines to someone other than those in the project.

"W-Why w-would you show them to others? W-What i-if they copy my work?" Anna asked Sophie who was calmly sipping her drink.

"Oh calm down Anna. He is admiring your work. Besides, he wouldn't dare touch our project. He knows full well what would happen if he stole our ideas. What happened with the Liverpool will happen again with your newest creation, Asplund." Sophie said calmly, but menacingly at the same time to her subordinate.

"Uhhh, I'd really wish you wouldn't talk about that incident. Regardless, I am a man of my word and of my work so I swear not to interfere with your project nor steal your ideas. It's my duty to uphold my promise, especially when we are working together toward the same goal." Lloyd said nonchalantly as he walked over to his station where a pissed off Cecile was waiting.

"And what goal is that exactly, Mr. Asplund?" asked Anna who was always curious as to why these special models were being given away for free.

"Who knows? We're just here to do our jobs, live our passions, and get paid. As for our mysterious CEO...well I wouldn't know a thing about his plans." Lloyd admitted as he sat down and began his own work.

"He's a peculiar man, but one of his word. Not even I know about what Zero intends to do with these machines. But whatever it is, it must be big." Sophie said as she began looking over the main file over their first machine, the Alexander.

"Something big?" Anna asked as she sat down next to her boss as she looked at the older beautiful woman sip her drink.

"Haven't I told you? It seems that a company called Steiner Industries is sending their own team over here to our tower in order to work with the Camelot group to develop their machines quicker. My guess is that Zero wants the machines to be developed faster and more efficiently. The rumor is also that the Steiner Family had donated a massive amount of money to Zero in order for the new machines to be given to their own unit." Sophie shared as she remembered the news that was told to her by Joe Weiss who always heard this type of chatter during lunch.

"Just like with Mr. Eleria." Anna said as she remembered the story about how he donated a large amount to the company in exchange for an Irregular Unit which would consist of his daughters as well as custom machines that would utilize their brainwaves for ultimate usage, similar to the W-0X Project.

"Exactly. And there's more. It seems the Steiner Family is only making these machines as prototypes for another set of knightmares for another group. My guess is that once their done with the first set, the operational data will be sent to the newer developers so they can create more powerful machines in turn. And once that happens the Steiner Family will pull their unit out of _Project Knightmare_ for their own usage." Sophie explained, causing Anna to think over what machines could possibly be created and for what purpose.

"Is that all? Or are there rumors of more machines being made by third party developers?" Anna asked as she wondered who else could arrive and what machine they could materialize.

"It gets better. It seems that a man called Oiaguro Zevon was interested in the Gawain. It seems he wants his own unit based off of the Gawain. It seems that Zero is talking to a lot of different people to gain donations for something big. And whatever that is, it will involve all of the knightmares that are being made." Sophie finished as she put her empty mug down.

"Alot of people are interested in this company." Anna said as she wondered about the various amounts of people and machines that could be made thanks to these donations and these deals being made.

"They sure are. But what they do isn't important. It's what we do that's number one priority. Come on. Let's get to work. The Type-02 isn't going to finish itself." Sophie said as the duo began setting up the coding for the new machine's structure and mechanics.

* * *

**Zevon Mansion, Ichikawa Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Sunday, October 1st, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

The Zevon Twins invited all of their friends over to their home in order to go out and have a fun time. However, before they all left to their intended location, Tsuinzu Arcade, Leonhardt "Leo" Steiner was sharing information that he had received not too long ago. And the news was surprising to say the least.

"So we get to pilot special knightmares?" asked Tink Rockheart, their elderly looking friend who unfortunately had grey hair, but he was still young and strong as can be.

"Well, only some of us will..." Leo said in a low voice. This caused their female friend, Sokia Scerpa, to gain a burning in her eyes and grab Leo by his collar and lift him as her imaginable female strength.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN ONLY SOME OF US WILL?!" Sokia asked angrily as she demanded to know why only some of their group would get that golden opportunity.

"We only have up to three special machines. And to be honest, one of them is only a variant of a Sutherland. That means only two are fully custom." Leo explained, causing her to let him down since she immediately put on her innocent girl face and asked him, "Well you're going to give me one right?" she asked as she began rotating her head sideways like an insane person.

"Uhh...well that's why we're going to the arcade today. I'm going to be scanning all of our skills and those with the most compatible will receive the two machines. It's not just your skill, but it's also your fighting style. We'll see how it turns out. Anyway, we'd better get going. I don't want to get there and see no pods are available." Leo said as they all began leaving the large house. As the two Zevon Twins followed their friends, they were each determined to receive the new machines. No matter what.

* * *

**Yoroppa Arcade, Kawasaki Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Sunday, October 1st, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Similar to the group who attended Ichikawa Private Academy, the group that attended Kawasaki North Academy had arrived at their local arcade, the Yoroppa Arcade in order to begin testing out their new abilities. According to the genius in their group, Anna Clement, they were going to be the test subjects for a special knightmare she was working on while being a part-timer at _Project Knightmare_, which was an amazing feat despite being part-time.

And right now the entire group was suited up, including their two female members, Layla Malkal and Ayano Kosaka, who were well endowed and attractive young women, at least according to Ryo Sayama who earned a punch from Layla. After their little scuffle ended they all began entering the pods, except for Akito who couldn't take his eyes off of Layla. Ryo noticed this and he walked up to his young friend and said, "See something you like?"

"I just never expected her to try this out. Maybe she's trying too hard, to be like us." Akito said before entering his machine and entering the same match as his friends. Once they all entered the same party and had entered a game, Akito couldn't help, but look at the enemy names which caught his attention. One of them was _WhiteFlame_, the same guy who fought the _CrimsonLotus_ and the Lancelot on the day of the game's release.

"Looks like we're up against someone with some history." Akito said to himself as he prepared himself mentally for the match. Normally he wouldn't be able to fight by just getting into the game and going. For Akito, he likes to take his time and adjust himself to the conditions in which he is about to enter. As he awaited the beginning of his match, he couldn't help, but feel that this was going to be fun.

The map was selected as a place called, Horai Island. It looked like some mechanical island floating in the ocean with three large mountains coming out of it. It was an interesting location, but that was beside the point. The match started and everyone selected their knightmares.

As the countdown went on, Akito began thinking about Layla. Why was she trying to play this game? It wasn't in her nature to do such a thing. She preferred things like films, books, and the sort. Who knows, maybe it would be for the best.

And with that the match began. Akito looked at his team and saw that everyone was picking the best knightmares, like Sutherlands and Gloucesters. However, he did notice that Ryo picked a Glasgow instead which had it's own custom color scheme, which he must've gotten from someone in the newly formed Knightmare Battle Club back at the academy.

Akito himself, though, stayed with the Gardmare unit he used before against the _CrimsonLotus_, in order to limit himself and see how high his combat level was, which was usually measured and displayed on a pilot's online page on the _Knightmare Battle!_ website where literally hundreds of thousands of players could be seen along with the machines they used as well as information like the username and arcade locations.

As the match began, they would start moving in after their enemy which could be seen not too far off in the distance. As Akito's forces closed in on their enemy, he couldn't help, but notice that something was off. It seemed that some lag was happening between his controls and the knightmare he piloted. It was odd since this had never happened before, but Akito decided he'd have to make do with it.

"Alright, time to get serious." Akito said to himself before he opened fire upon the incoming blue Glasgow which had the name, _WhiteFlame_ above it. Akito smirked as he entered a fight with his rival, since they had both fought against the infamous, _CrimsonLotus_. As he entered battle, the lag which he experienced between the time he pulled the trigger and the time his knighmare fired off shots at his enemy began to annoy Akito. And it seemed he wasn't the only one.

Insinde of the white and blue Glasgow of Orpheus Zevon, he was experiencing the lag as well. As he tried to dodge the shots that came at him, lag caused him to be hit by a small amount of the gunfire, which was really starting to get on his nerves. "Hey, Oldrin. Are you experiencing this?" Orpheus asked as he tried to return the bullet fire.

"Yeah. I can't get a hit on this guy, because of the lag between my shots and when I fire. What do you think's going on?" asked Oldrin as she fired her red Gloucester's slash harkens at the light brown Glasgow which was being piloted by Ryo.

"I don't know, but I don't like it." Orpheus replied as he tried getting in a closer range against his enemy Gardmare. However, something happened. The game had stopped for just a moment. And immediately, the warning systems of the game began ringing out. And on screen appeared the words, "SYSTEM ERROR".

The bright blue sky quickly turned crimson as the sun changed from standing in the middle of the sky to having the moon cover it's radiant light. It was like the beginning of the apocalypse.

And in the sky appeared a black hole which had released numerous flying knightmares as well as one larger machine which was flying as well. The smaller machines appeared to be Glasgows with jet like parts which was about the only cool feature about the machines. Aside from that they lacked hands and instead had small turrets. They also had single wheels for feet.

As for the larger machine, it had a huge payload, large wings, and what appeared to be the head of a Sutherland unit at the front. And a voice boomed over the map and Orpheus could only guess that it was coming from the pilot the larger machine.

"I am Wilbur Millville, leader of the Wings of Tallyrand and pilot of this Knight-Giga Fortress, the Sutherland Ikaros. I am here to debut the appearance of my group and to announce the beginning of _Project Knightmare's_ end! And we will begin our assault here and now upon the common people!" announced the pilot of the large machine, now identified as the Sutherland Ikaros._  
_

"A Knight-Giga Fortress? Is that new?" Akito asked as he looked up at the large knightmare like machine.

"The Wings of Tallyrand. Never heard of them." Ryo stated as he also looked up at the swarm of machines that were flying in the sky.

"Whoever they are they're not friendly!" Oldrin yelled out as she began dodging the incoming bullets from the enemy knightmares that were swooping down and launching attacks upon all of the knightmares on the ground. As the assault continued, Zero was beginning the preparations for a counter-attack.

* * *

**CEO's Office, ****Infiniti Tower********, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Sunday, October 1st****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

Zero had been notified of the situation by Diethard of the Intel Division and he quickly began making a connection with the match via his personal computer which had access to every bit of _Project Knightmare's_ files and servers. Once he established a video feed, he began speaking to the pilot's of everyone in that match who was playing before the arrival of the Wings of Tallyrand, who were hackers, according to the report he received. He looked on at each and every face that was surprised to see the mask of Zero staring at them from an office.

"I am Zero, CEO of _Project Knightmare_, and the man who is asking you to follow his instructions. This server that you are playing on has been hacked by a group who has identified themselves as the Wings of Tallyrand. They have stolen precious information from one of our third party developers and are currently using top secret machines that were to be released to the public in the coming months. As a result, we need you to deliver a divine punishment upon these criminals. I am updating the status of your game and making it custom. Your teams have been united from here on out. In addition, you will also be granted the usage of our special and experimental, float system in order to fight on par. I am requesting that you not only win the match, but deliver justice to these people who have violated the very security of the game you all enjoy playing. Will you accept this mission?" Zero asked as he began typing into his computer to update their status' and give them the special float systems.

Everyone on screen accepted the mission and Zero replied, "I express my gratitude. In return, you will all be given a chance at receiving a gift from my company. I wish you all the best of luck in battle."

* * *

**Yoroppa Arcade, Kawasaki Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Sunday, October 1st, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Akito's knightmare was changed to a Sutherland unit and he was given a float system, just like many of his allies. Their status' were changed so the two original teams were joined in order to defeat the hacking group which was fighting against them.

"Alright then. It looks like we must work together. Let's do our best!" Leonhardt yelled out as they began their combined attack upon the invaders. It seemed that the only true advantage that the enemy had was their flight capabilities, which were now usable by everyone in the game. Now the ball was in their hand sand they had the chance to earn a special prize from Zero himself.

"Let's see which of us can take down more knightmares!" Ryo yelled out as he fired his bazooka into the sky which destroyed a lone Somerset, the smaller flying machines.

"Okay!" Yukiya accepted the challenge as he fired his rifle upon the incoming enemy knightmares which tried to transform into a faster jet mode, which didn't help as he had gotten it in his range.

"You're pretty good. But I'm better!" Tink yelled as he fired his slash harkens at a nearby Somerset, grappling it and immobilizing it, which allowed Sokia to shoot it with her grenade launcher.

"Haha! I got him!" Sokia shouted in excitement, but in came a friendly Sutherland piloted by Ayano which had defended Sokia by using her stun tonfa to knock out the head of an incoming Somerset which causes it to spiral out of control and hit the ground of the battlefield.

"How's that?" Ayano asked as she continued fighting more enemy machines in close combat. Meanwhile, Akito tried attacking the larger machine, the Sutherland Ikaros, by charging in alone.

He opened fire with his rifle, but each bullet was blocked by a stream of small missiles which were aimed at him. As they neared Akito, he tried to dodge the barrage by flying away, but there were far too many to avoid. Luckily for him, Layla had come in to save him by shooting out the enemy missiles along with Orpheus and Oldrin who were piloting a Glasgow and Gloucester respectively. The trio joined Akito in attacking the Knight-Giga Fortress.

"Trying to take it out alone isn't possible. It's better to ask for help more often, Akito." Layla said as she joined in firing off her rifle at the large machine.

"We are teammates aren't we?" Oldrin asked as she helped by tossing a chaos grenade at the Sutherland Ikaros, unleashing a hellish barrage of bullets onto it's armor.

Akito ignored her comment as he too began firing at the machine, but he could see serious damage being done. However, when he got into close range, something strange happened. From the Sutherland Ikaros, the two large wing like parts that were extending forward from the machine, had fired off and they were aimed at Akito's knightmare. Apparently, they were large over sized slash harkens, rather than wings.

"How is that even possible?" Akito asked as he dodged the large projectile which was reeled back to it's core frame.

"Looks like there's more to this thing than it looks. Come on, let's attack it's engines!" Orpheus yelled out as he lead the way toward the machine's rear, where the engines were located. They all began opening fire, and smoke could be seen coming from the Sutherland Ikaros now, however, the machine retaliated and missiles came in toward their knightmares, forcing them to flee.

"We can't hit it's important spots without it attacking us and forcing us away. We need to distract it somehow." Layla said as they backed away from the flying projectiles and opened fire on the homing missiles.

"No. I have a better idea." Akito said as he closed in on the Ikaros again. Without hesitation, the machine fired off more of it's missile pods and the stream of missiles followed him quickly. Without hesitation, Akito began flying away and he began luring the projectiles to his intended target. The rear of the Sutherland Ikaros. And while he did that, his allies continued firing on the large machine in order to keep it distracted from Akito. And as he came around and went in for the rear of the Knight-Giga Fortress, Akito's machine slammed into the engines along with the missiles which followed his lead, causing massive amounts of damage against the knightmare.

As explosions began appearing throughout the entire machine's frame, the front of the machine opened up and out came a regular Sutherland with a modified landspinner system which had two wheels for feet as well as two small float system wings attached to each leg. With those it was able to glide down to the battlefield while his allies continued to be destroyed.

Once on the ground, Layla, Orpheus, and Oldrin opened fire and destroyed his machine, ending the match with his defeat. And with that, both sides logged out of the game and returned to the real world where they would become subject to numerous amounts of worship from fans of the game who witnessed the battle.

At the Yoroppa Arcade, everyone who saw the fight on the monitors of the arcade cheered as Akito, Layla, Ryo, and Ayano exited their pods. They were dripping with sweat due to the toughness of the battle, but they were happy to be of help to Zero.

"You are one crazy son-of-a-bitch Akito! Haha! I never knew you'd go that far just to win!" Ryo said as he put his arm around Akito's shoulders.

"I never thought you'd go kamikaze. You did a good job defeating the enemy." Yukiya complimented with a thumbs up.

"Good job Akito. You did good out there." Ayano said as she smiled widely.

"Nice going Akito. Maybe next time we can win without you sacrificing yourself." Layla said with a smile as she was happy to see everyone's current state. Layla was surprised at her current mood, but she had fun. She didn't think she'd enjoy the game, but she really liked the competition and the realism. Now she knew why Akito and the others liked it so much.

* * *

**Tsuinzu Arcade, Ichikawa Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Sunday, October 1st, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

As Orpheus and the others exited their pods, they were subject to cheers and compliments from those who saw the fight. But Orpheus was more fixated on the guy he fought against who quickly became the reason why they won.

The man under the username, _BlueWyvern_. All he knew about him was that he was very good at the game and that his name was Akito. And whoever he really was, he was someone Orpheus respected.

"Akito...I hope we meet in person someday." Orpheus said to himself while Leo tried to get his friend into the celebration.

"Come on man! Cheer up! We won the game and we did a favor for Zero! How cool is that?" Leo asked as he tried getting the happiness and excitement of the situation into his friend.

"You're right. I guess not many people can say that. Hey how about we go for Pizza Hut? My treat!" Orpheus yelled out causing his friends to cheer since they'd be getting a free post-battle meal.

However, that wasn't the case with Zero back at the Infiniti Tower.

* * *

**CEO's Office, ****Infiniti Tower********, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Sunday, October 1st****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

Zero sighed to himself as he looked on at the screen which showed the combat results of the pilot's that participated in the fight against the hacker group, the Wings of Tallyrand.

"It seems that these specific people have the highest points. It's a shame. I don't really have that many knightmares available right now. But one of them is Leonhardt Steiner. I heard his family's company was developing two special knightmares. They are also the ones that developed the Somerset and the Sutherland Ikaros. Hmm...And these names...Aren't they the group of pilots that Anna picked out for her knightmares? I guess that only leaves these two. Orpheus and Oldrin Zevon. The OZ Twins. Nephew and niece of Oiaguro Zevon. I haven't talked to him in a while. Maybe these two are worthy. I guess we'll have to wait and see. But for now, I have to meet with someone else." Zero said to himself as he shut down his computer and pressed a button on his telephone.

"Please send them in." Zero said to his secretary who allowed a group of four people to walk in. One of them was a tall lady with long black hair and serious golden eyes. She was wearing a fancy white suit which had a miniskirt as well as high heels. Another looked much like the tall lady, except she had green eyes and she appeared more care free. She was wearing the Ashford Academy girl's uniform for the lower grades which was a pink dress with a white undershirt with a small red tie.

As for the other two people, a boy and girl, they looked identical to one another, except one wore a male Ashford Academy uniform for the upper grades while the other wore the female uniform for the upper grades at the same school. They both had wild silver hair and indigo colored eyes, except the boy appeared to have a nice expression while the girl looked like she didn't want to be here.

"Futaba Sumeragi of the Sumeragi Corporation. How can I help you today?" Zero asked as he sat back in his chair and waited to hear her words. The tall woman named Futaba was indeed a beauty to behold, but that wasn't the rich part of her. She was a cunning woman who made decisions that benefited her company and her family. She must have wanted something.

"I am sure you are aware that we want to provide a donation for your company in exchange for participation in your Third Party Development Program in order to allow my son and daughter here to act as representatives of the Sumeragi Corporation in your upcoming tournament." Futaba said as she revealed her knowledge of Zero's secret plans.

"I'm guessing Rackshata Chawla had already told you about the tournament and the grand prize that goes to the winner. I am also guessing she already prepared machines for your twins." Zero stated as he thought of the OZ Twins. Now he had to deal with the Sumeragi Twins.

"You guessed correctly. Rackshata has long been with the Sumeragi Corporation, so it's only natural for her to develop our machines." Futaba stated as she revealed the truth of Rackshata as her "spy".

"Very well then. I shall accept your proposal. However, knowledge of the tournament is to be kept a secret. Otherwise the deal will be canceled and the machines will be taken back. Do we have a deal?" Zero asked as he stood with his arm extended and his hand opened. Futaba shook Zero's hand with a smile and said, "I look forward to receiving them."

"Just know that any tampering or research of the machines will also lead to the deal being terminated. I can't have our secrets being out there for the world to see." Zero stated as he ended the handshake.

"Very well then. You have my word I shall not modify Rackshata's creations. Actually, I was notified that one of them wasn't even hers to begin with." Futaba mentioned.

"True. One of them was made by our Developer, Lloyd Asplund, creator of the Lancelot." Zero replied as he thought about the Club which Lloyd worked on with a girl named Marie Lubie.

"I see. Well, I should be going. Like you I have a company to run." Futaba said as she exited the office with her three children.

"I'll see you again, Mrs. Sumeragi." Zero said before they left and the doors closed. Zero thought to himself. With the Club and Gekka out of the way, he could now focus on the next machines in the line up. It seemed the K-Plan was advancing smoothly, much to his enjoyment. Because each and every day that Zero wasn't with the Pizza Girl, the more he suffered.

* * *

**How was it? Did you enjoy the fight? What about the numerous references to other media? Now I may be rushing the whole special knightmare process a bit, but it's necessary since there are surely a lot of knightmares that need to be released. With that aside, know that I'll try and get to the next chapter as soon as possible. Also please leave a review stating your thoughts on this chapter and the story so far. I'd greatly appreciate the criticism.**


	7. Stage 07: Lost World

**Hello Everyone! Sorry about being gone for a bit, but school is back for me just as my club activities are. And with that I have been away from everything internet based for a bit. But with that side, I finally found a way to manage everything accordingly and it did take me a couple of drafts to get the chapter I wanted, but here it is! Note that no combat takes place in this one and it's more of an Ashford Academy chapter which focuses on the relationship of certain characters as well as the integration of others into the school. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and leave me a review!********  
**

* * *

******Ashford Academy, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Monday, October 2nd****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

It was early in the day and Lelouch was walking onto his school's campus with his younger sister Nunnally, following his lead. As they strolled through the front gates of the school. Lelouch looked forward and saw that there was a huge commotion at the school's front doors. It seemed that a huge amount of people had surrounded something that had caught their interest.

"Nunnally, you continue on to the Student Council room. I'll go check out what the big deal is." Lelouch told his sister who nodded and ran off in the direction of the Student Council Clubhouse, a large personal building off to the side of the school where the council usually hung out before and after school.

As he approached the large group of excited students, Lelouch began hearing words like, "They're so cute!" and "I never knew that our school would be this lucky!"

When he began making his way through the crowd, Lelouch lightly moved people out of his way before he reached the empty circle where a group of five girls stood together, bunched up and slightly concerned over the current state. Three of them wore the lower grade's school uniform and they appeared to be Nunnally's age while the other two looked like they were in Lelouch's grade. As he looked at all of them he did notice that they all did share a sort of aura which made Lelouch feel familiar with them all. And that's when Lelouch looked into her eyes.

The light purple eyes he had usually only seen in the mirror or on Nunnally's face. Staring at him was a girl who was slightly shorter than he was who had long pink hair that was tied in a pony tail. He was staring into the face of his cousin, whom he hadn't seen in almost 8 years. The face of Euphemia Lithuania.

And before she could call out for him, Lelouch began backing away into the crowd before running off in the direction of the school's main building where the office of Ruben K. Ashford was waiting for him.

* * *

******Prinicipal's Office, Ashford Academy, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Monday, October 2nd****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

Despite the protest of the secretary that had ordered that Lelouch wait outside, the black haired Vice-President stormed into the office of his principal and asked, "Why is she here? What is going on?!"

Ruben looked up at the young man and he could easily understand why he was so upset. It seemed that Lelouch did not want anything to do with his family or his past life. And the appearance of not just one, but five of his relatives had only made it worse. Four adoptive cousins and one blood related cousin. And that wasn't the only thing that was going on. Ruben felt that he had an obligation to tell Lelouch about his father's continued survival, but if he did, who knew what Zero would do in retaliation.

"I'm sure you are shaken up by the recent turn of events, but I feel that you should sit down so I can explain everything to you, Lelouch." Ruben said as he ordered his secretary to leave them alone before Lelouch took a seat.

"Now the appearance of Euphemia Lithuania did surprise me as well. It seems that the four girls she was with were the daughters of your cousin, Schneizel Eleria. Now all I do know is that your cousin's Schneizel and Cornelia Lithuania are here in Japan for some business purposes. What exactly is beyond me. However, I do know that while they are here, they have sent Alice, Dalque, Lucretia, Sancia, and Euphemia to be school here at Ashford Academy. And according to Schneizel, his blood daughter, Claire, is also coming here to Ashford within the coming month." Ruben revealed.

"Hmm...are they aware of our being here? Of Nunnally and I's attendance here at Ashford?" Lelouch asked, wanting to know if he had any chance of avoiding his family members.

"No they don't. That information is secret. However, that doesn't mean you can avoid them forever. Lelouch, at one point or another you must face your past and reconcile if possible. This is just advice from an old man, but I think it's be in your best interest to reconnect with your family members." Ruben admitted as he believed that Lelouch would more than likely be in a better state of mind if he had reestablished a connection with the only family he had remaining. And who knows, Lelouch may just be able to find his father on his own.

"Alright. Thank you for your time. I'm sorry for barging in so angrily. I won't do it again." Lelouch apologized, to which Ruben only laughed.

"It's perfectly fine. Just make sure you schedule an appointment next time alright." Ruben joked before Lelouch took his leave. As he thought about it, Lelouch couldn't help, but think that maybe, just maybe, that Schneizel or Cornelia knew something about his father. And if they did, they would be his ticket to finding him.

* * *

******Homeroom Class, Ashford Academy, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Monday, October 2nd****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

While Lelouch sat in his class he was wondering about the choice to confront or to ignore Euphemia. Hopefully he could come up with his mind before she came to him. Otherwise Lelouch felt it'd be unfair.

And just before classes began their teacher began speaking out. "Listen up. Today, many new students have enrolled and one of them has joined our class. Please welcome him and help him out in any way, shape, or form. We all know how difficult it is to start a new year, so please give any assistance you can." And from the outside door walked in a tall male with silver hair and indigo eyes. He stood at the front of the class with his back straight, shoulder even, and head held up high. The girls looked at him in admiration while the guys looked at him in jealousy.

"My name is Rai Sumeragi. I look forward to attending Ashford Academy alongside all of you." Rai said in a confident , yet kind voice before he was directed to his assigned seat at the back of the class next to Suzaku. And while Lelouch looked at him sit down, he couldn't help, but notice that Suzaku had not taken his eyes off of him once. And when he sat down the two introduced one another as if they were old friends and they quickly quieted down for class to begin.

And while class went on, Lelouch kept noticing that everyone's eyes were more directed on the new student than on the actual subject. And while Lelouch looked on at the easy cooperative efforts between Suzaku and Rai, he became more and more curious about the new student. So Lelouch decided to confront this first.

When the teaching ended and the Study Hall hour arrived, Lelouch got up out of his seat and walked over to where Suzaku was sitting with Rai. A good amount of students had also gathered there to talk to Rai and try and make friends with him. However, they all quieted down when they saw Lelouch strolling toward them. A path was made as he came up to the group and he looked down at Rai with his hands in his pocket. As he studied Rai's confused expression, Lelouch held his hand out toward him and said, "My name is Lelouch Lamperouge, Vice-President of the Student Council. I'm also friends with Suzaku. It's nice to meet you."

Rai smiled and replied, "It's nice to finally meet you too, Lelouch. I hope we can become good friends like you and Suzaku." With those words, the girls quickly began squealing as the thoughts of a Lelouch X Rai pairing began entering their imaginations.

"Hey look over there!" said a voice. Everyone's attention was turned to the door where a girl around Kallen's height stood. She was wearing the girl uniform and she had the exact same silver hair and a lighter shade of indigo colored eyes. Her facial features gave off a more feminine version of Rai's. As everyone began looking at both of them, the excitement reached unimaginable levels as the questions between Rai and this new person began arising.

She ignored everyone who was asking questions and she pulled up a chair to sit at Suzaku's table and she began talking to Rai.

"My class is so boring Rai. Why didn't I get to join this class with you and Suzaku?" she asked annoyed by the fact that nobody interesting was in her original classroom.

"Well Raiko, I can't do much about it. Maybe if you talk to the Principal he'll let you switch." Rai stated, causing the guys to get overly excited since they'd be getting yet another pretty girl in their class along with Kallen and Shirley. And this wasn't the only class that was getting worked up about new students. In fact, all over the school was hype about the, _new kids_.

From the lower grades to the upper grades, there was chatter and gossip about it and Lelouch wasn't going to like the fact that his cousin, Euphie, was going to be subject to more than just popularity.

* * *

******Cafeteria, Ashford Academy, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Monday, October 2nd****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

Normally Lelouch didn't like eating in the cafeteria of the school because of how it was usually dirty since many students didn't know proper etiquette during a meal nor how to throw away food. However, he had to suffer through this next hour since the Student Council was giving a tour to Rai and Raiko.

And while Lelouch bit into one of the school's submarine sandwiches that they provided, which appeared to be the healthiest food aside from a salad, he noticed yet another commotion, but this time in the middle of the cafeteria. Surrounded by a group of four guys from the Rugby Team was Euphemia, standing next to a tall girl with black hair and light green eyes. Lelouch recognized her as one of the girls who was with Euphemia that morning. And from what he could hear, something was wrong.

"Oh come on! Why not sit with us? We're the strongest guys at this school!" said the biggest of the four who was also bald.

"Yeah! You'll get a full tour from the Rugby Team! We'll make sure you have a very good time." said another of the four who appeared to be giving off a malicious smirk.

Lelouch couldn't stand it anymore and he decided to end this. "Suzaku, could you come with me? I may need your help." Lelouch said as he began walking over. Rai and Raiko noticed this and they decided to join them to stop the Rugby Team from doing whatever it was that they had planned.

Lelouch stood behind the biggest of the four and said, "I'd greatly appreciate it if you leave those two girls alone. Otherwise you'll have to face the consequences."

"Pfft, who do you think you are, little boy? You act all cool, but you're nothing, but a weak and scrawny kid who's too cocky! Get lost before I kick your ass right here!" yelled out the big bald student who pushed Lelouch back.

Lelouch caught himself and looked up at the tall man with hatred. Suzaku recognized the look and he knew he'd have to get involved physically.

"I don't think you understand. These two girls...are my family. So get out of the way!" Lelouch yelled out angrily. With those words, Suzaku moved quickly and with a quick jump, he kneed the biggest of the four guys in the face hard, causing him to bleed from his nose and fall back onto the ground, unconscious when he hit the floor.

The other three quickly retaliated and charged at Suzaku and Lelouch, however, Rai and Raiko were quick to act. Rai dashed toward one of the guys who was trying to flank Lelouch. Rai punched him hard in the gut, causing the Rugby Team member to spit out blood. And with one quick backward kick from his left leg, the guy fell onto a table knocked out cold.

Raiko on the other hand, jumped up onto a table and with her extended right foot, she kicked the face of the third player at an extremely quick speed, causing him to fall back onto his friend who was knocked out by Suzaku. This left only one who came at Lelouch. However, this was stopped by the interference of the red headed Kallen, who had just barely arrived to enter the fight. She used a maneuver that Suzaku used once before on a bully who was picking on a Science Club member and she used the momentum of the charging player to flip him up and over her shoulder and land him onto the cold tile floor. With that, the four players of the Rugby Team were knocked out cold and everyone who saw the fight began cheering. However, this was quieted down, by Lelouch who began addressing everyone present.

"My name is Lelouch Lamperouge, Vice-President of the Student Council. These two girls here are not just your average student's. They are my cousins, my family and here by official honorary members of the Student Council!" Lelouch yelled out, shocking everyone who was present. Lelouch just announced his relation to these two new students, which was even more shocking since they were said to be related to the other three younger girls who were present that morning.

"So if you have a problem with them, you have a problem with the Council!" Suzaku added on, trying to help Lelouch out as well as ensure their safety from people like these four Ruby players who must've been up to no good.

With that, Lelouch exited the cafeteria, leaving Suzaku and the others to explain to the teachers what had happened. And while this went on, Euphemia couldn't help, but think about Lelouch who had not only helped her, but had made her a member of the Student Council. Whatever he was up to, she was thankful for it.

* * *

**Rooftop, ********Ashford Academy, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Monday, October 2nd****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

As Lelouch looked on at the school grounds from the roof of the academy, he felt the wind sway through his hair and he felt a sense of peace, one he didn't really feel often, which made him enjoy it all the more. However, the sound of a door opening and closing caught his attention and he heard footsteps coming closer and closer to him. Lelouch turned around and leaned against the small wall which kept students from falling off the roof and he looked at the red head that stood before him.

"So, how much trouble am I in?" Lelouch asked as he looked at Kallen who walked to his side and began looking over the school as he was before.

"You're not in trouble. Actually, we should be the ones in trouble since we were the ones who attacked those guys. But they were harassing the new students and since we "intervened", "Kallen said with her fingers acting as quotation marks, "- they're getting suspended and we're getting off the hook. Just this once though. The principal doesn't want us doing this again."

"I see. That's good to hear. However...a problem still remains..." Lelouch said as he turned back around to look over the school once more with Kallen. "Now I have to deal with Euphie."

"Is it true? Is she really your cousin?" Kallen asked, since everybody was talking about it ever since lunch ended. Nobody could confirm it and nobody's talked to Nunnally yet since school hasn't ended, so it was only a rumor.

"Yes. She's my cousin whom I haven't seen in 8 years. It was shocking to see her here in Japan. And the reason why is because...because..." Lelouch said as he began going silent as he thought over the reason why he didn't want to see her in Japan. Maybe it was because it brought up the memories of the happy times from before the Kamine Island Incident.

"Because why?" Kallen asked, curious about his reasoning.

"Honestly...I don't know why. She is my family and I do love her...but seeing her here reminds me of back then. From before the death of my parents." Lelouch said as he continued thinking about the face of his father that he saw the other day.

"I see." Kallen said as she remembered that Lelouch's parents were mentioned in the news of an explosion off the coast of Japan. She also attended the funeral with her father, who was arrested just a day later. It was a rainy day and she remembered seeing Suzaku there as well, along with a younger Milly and Lelouch who was trying his best to be a man that day while his sister cried next to him. She also remembers seeing others there. A girl that looked like Euphemia, and someone who appeared to be her older sister and another good looking young man with blonde hair who was consoling Lelouch and Nunnally, like a big brother.

"I don't know if I should allow them to reenter our lives or not. We haven't spoken in years. And to just see them here is strange. I feel out of place. How should I act towards her? Should I be nice? Should I be cold? Should I try my best to avoid her or see her at all times?" Lelouch asked as he thought of what to do in the current situation he was in.

"Well, I don't think you have much of a choice anymore. After all, you made them honorary members. Now we'll see them at the Student Council meetings. And besides, I think she has a say in this too, don't you?" Kallen said as she shared her own thoughts about what Lelouch should be doing.

"I guess so. Thank you Kallen. I really needed that." Lelouch said as he crouched down and began sitting with his back against the short wall.

"What are you doing?" Kallen asked, confused by his sitting down and closing his eyes.

"I'm going to take a nap. I need one at least an hour before our meetings. Otherwise I fall asleep in the Student Council room." Lelouch said as he began calming himself down and relax in order to go to sleep. As Kallen looked at him with a strange expression, she only smiled at his indifference about academics and his laziness. It was, relaxing. She decided to follow his lead and Kallen sat down next to him, laying her head against his.

Lelouch opened his eye to look at her and he sighed, deciding to allow it. There really wasn't any hope in changing the mind of the Crimson Lotus.

* * *

******Student Council Room, Ashford Academy, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Monday, October 2nd****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

School had ended and the two new honorary members of the Student Council had arrived at the Student Council room, along with six others. And with the entire council gathered, minus Lelouch and Kallen, who hadn't been seen in a while, the whole situation was now in Milly's control. She was told about what had happened during lunch by Shirley and Nina and when she talked with Nunnally about it, she couldn't believe it.

And to make things more interesting, not only were Lelouch and Nunnally's cousins here, but so were the Sumeragi siblings, cousins of Suzaku Kururugi. Things were getting stranger and stranger as the day went on.

"So you five are Lelouch and Nunnally's cousins. And you three are Suzaku's cousins. And you all enrolled here at Ashford Academy. And to make things even better, the Lightning Twins fought against the Rugby Team's four best players during lunch along with Suzaku and Kallen because Lelouch wanted to protect Euphemia and Sancia. Wow. A lot's been happening lately." Milly said as she summarized the whole situation.

"So now what do we do?" Rivalz asked as everyone's attention was drawn to him. "I mean, Lelouch isn't here. So without him, we can't really work out the whole situation."

"There's nothing that needs to be worked out at all Rivalz! I think Lelouch did the right thing! All we need is to get him here so we can have an official family reunion!" Milly exclaimed excitedly.

"But..." Euphie muttered, silencing everyone in the process in order to hear what she had to say. "I don't know if this is right, but this morning I saw Lelouch and he tried avoiding me when we made eye contact. I don't think he wants to have a reunion at all. I mean, we haven't spoken since his parent's died. I think he may feel sad if we are around because it may just remind him of his parents." Euphemia explained, causing everyone to enter a deep thought process. It was true. It would be difficult to just happily talk once again after almost 8 years of separation, especially after a sad time.

"But, it's Lulu we're talking about here. He doesn't hate anybody, and especially not his family. I think he'll understand if we explain to him and maybe he'll try to fix your relationship." Shirley added on.

"Well. I don't know if Lelouch is or isn't in the right mood right now. We'll just have to wait and see. For now, let's just go about our usual meeting." Suzaku said as he also wondered about Lelouch's current state of mind. Suzaku may as well be the only person who knows Lelouch like the back of his hand, aside from Nunnally, and even he couldn't tell whether or not Lelouch was open to becoming family once more, or exiling the people he hadn't seen in 8 years.

"Alright then. How about we start giving assignments to our honorary members!" Milly said as she began thinking up various ways of how to get the new students to do her bidding for her evil plans that involved things like the school festival.

"Actually, my sisters and I have been meaning to say this, but we can't be a part of the Student Council." Alice spoke up, destroying Milly's hopes and dreams and also bringing around a sort of awkward atmosphere.

"Why can't you join Alice? Are you busy after school?" Shirley asked out of curiosity since she didn't really think any new students could have much to do after their first day.

"Our father has some work for us to do. We can't go into specifics, but we promised him that we would return after school for him." Sancia added, not wanting to reveal anything regarding their position as Irregulars.

"What about you Euphie? Do you have to go with them?" Nunnally asked as she was slightly disappointed about the whole ordeal.

"No I don't. Actually, I didn't even hear about this job. I didn't know that Schneizel had arranged this for you. But you can still stay after school sometimes right? When you're not busy?" Euphemia asked her cousins since she wanted to spend time with them. Especially since she didn't see them often.

"Sure. Whenever we have spare time, we can come and hang out." Alice said with a smile before they said their goodbyes and the four Eleria sisters left.

"What a shame...we just lost four potential members! We could've accomplished a lot more with them!" Milly groaned as she laid her head down on the table in depression.

"Umm...we sort of have to go too." Rai said, causing the Student Council president to shoot her head up.

"You too? Do you have a job to go to also or what?" Milly asked angrily since she was losing yet another two members.

"Actually our mother needs us to go and train. We can't hang around all the time like you guys can. We have to train both physically and academically each day." Raiko said, putting emphasis on the words physically and academically.

"How come? Are you entering a competition or something?" Rivalz asked as he wondered why their fitness and brains would matter so much.

"Don't you recognize their last name? Sumeragi? As in the Sumeragi Corporation?" Suzaku said as he began thinking as to why they didn't figure it out so quickly.

"Whaa? You are part of the Sumeragi family? The owners of the Sumeragi Corporation which is known for it's sukuradite mines?" Rivalz asked, shocked that he didn't realize it earlier since he had done a report on it not too long ago.

"Yeah, we are. Since one of us will be the next head of the Sumeragi family, we need to work hard and stay at the top of our class and we need to keep ourselves fit." Rai explained. In his head he knew he was only sharing this information since it was half true. The only reason they needed to stay fit was because they were pilots in _Knightmare Battle!_.

* * *

**Development Division, Infiniti Tower, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Monday, October 2nd, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Zero stood in the Development Division of the tower as he overlooked the current combat rates of the Sumeragi Twins. They were on par with the Zevon Twins which had defeated the Wings of Tallyrand the day before. It seemed that so far, everyone who had a special knightmare or was a candidate for a special knightmare was at a very high level and the chances of their victory or loss depended on the situation.

"So? Now that the Lancelot Club and the Gekka Pre-Production Type have been pushed forward, what knightmare will you give away next?" Lloyd asked as he looked at his masked boss with curiosity.

"I'm not sure as of yet. At the moment, I'm too fixated on trying to add security to our defense network so our knightmares won't be stolen again. I mean, it's bad enough that the Somerset and Sutherland Ikaros were taken. Who knows what other files could have been leaked. But since we've already started releases of the Seventh Generation anyway, I feel it is only appropriate that we continue from there." Zero answered as he looked over the data of the already released machines.

At the moment, the public had access to all knightmares from the Third Generation to the Fifth Generation, except for the RPI-13 Sutherland Air and RPI-00/SC Gloucester Custom. Everything past that point was strictly used by special people. Regardless, that did not mean that all of them would be made for only a select few.

For example, there were up to 7 new machines that would be made available to the general public while their more powerful derivatives would belong only to the Administrators of the company or to select individuals.

As for now, Zero needed two new machines to be prepared to release. And since it was Camelot's turn, Zero knew exactly which machine Lloyd had in mind.

"In that case, I propose the release of the Grail." Lloyd admitted without shame since he was excited to get his Lancelot series released.

"Very well then. I think I know who would be perfect for the machine. However, we'll need to wait until this week's end. If she has proved her worth by then, then it's hers. With that in mind, I need to go out and arrange a meeting. The only way I can test her abilities is by making sure she has a worthy opponent. And I know exactly who can test her." Zero said as he smirked beneath his mask before leaving Lloyd to his work.

* * *

**Ashford Academy, Tokyo Settlement, United Stats of Japan**

**Tuesday, October 3rd, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Lelouch entered the gates of the school just as he had the day before. And just like before, a huge fuss was being made at the front of the school building. A crowd had gathered around and numerous comments were being made. But before Lelouch could begin walking away to avoid being caught up in whatever business it was, he heard the voice of Rivalz calling out to him from the crowd.

"Lelouch! Come over here! You need to check this out!" Rivalz yelled out as he waved for Lelouch to come over.

"A new student doesn't concern me Rivalz." Lelouch answered as he continued on his way to the Student Council Clubhouse.

"But it's important! It has to do with you and Nunnally!" Rivalz yelled out, causing Lelouch to stop in his tracks. He turned around and decided it was worth looking at if it involved him and his little sister. But he swore that if it wasn't anything important, then he'd leave Rivalz out of a month's worth of gambling money.

"Fine. What's so important that you called me over?" Lelouch asked Rivalz who only pulled Lelouch into the crowd and began making way to the center where a lone male student stood. He appeared to be younger and shorter than Lelouch. He had short curly brown hair that was the same shade as Nunnally's and he also had the same purple colored eyes that Lelouch had. He...he looked like he could be Lelouch's younger brother.

"What the hell?" Lelouch said aloud as he looked at the young male student who appeared to be confused by the attention he was getting.

"That's what I said! Doesn't he look like he could be your little bro?" Rivalz asked as he pointed at the new student.

"He does..." Lelouch muttered in shock since he never expected to see such a sight. "Still, just because he looks similar to me and Nunnally doesn't mean anything. It's not important. Because you just wasted a good five minutes of my life, I won't be taking you with me to any of my chess matches for the rest of the month." Lelouch said before leaving the crowd.

"What? Why? What could I have done so wrong that you'd punish me so severely?" Rivalz complained as he tried getting Lelouch to stop and explain.

"My time is valuable. Maybe I'll take Rai instead." Lelouch said as he continued strolling to the clubhouse.

"Speaking of that guy, how come you didn't show up to the meeting after school? In fact, you and Kallen didn't show up at all. Did something happen?" Rivalz asked as he walked side by side with Lelouch.

"I don't see what Rai has to do with my absence yesterday, but I missed the meeting because I fell asleep on the roof. I skipped out on our last class again and I overslept." Lelouch explained as they entered the building.

"I see. What about Kallen though? Nobody knows where she went after seventh period either and nobody saw her leave the school when classes ended." Rivalz said as he remembered talking to many students who remained after school about the red headed beauty.

"I wouldn't know. I saw her during seventh period, but after that I don't know where she went off to. Maybe she went to the arcade or something." Lelouch said as they walked up the steps of the clubhouse.

"You know, you and Kallen sure have been getting a lot closer recently. Are you thinking about becoming her main man?" Rivalz asked curiously as he wondered about Lelouch's relationship with the Crimson Lotus. Things were weird for a bit ever since Kallen was electrocuted at the Oriental Arcade in September, but everything returned to normal after around a week. But that still didn't deny the fact that Kallen liked Lelouch and that everybody knew about it, even if they weren't talking about it right now. And since Lelouch knew that information, Rivalz thought it'd be common sense to ask her out on a date.

"No, I'm not. Becoming Kallen's boyfriend isn't my current concern. All I need to focus on is school and Nunnally. Nothing more." Lelouch said as they reached the top of the staircase and made a turn toward the hallway that lead to the Student Council room. However, standing before them was Kallen herself who had heard Lelouch's words.

"Kallen." Lelouch said as he immediately regretted saying that out loud. And without a single response, Kallen ran past Lelouch and Rivalz before rushing down the steps and leaving the clubhouse.

"Lelouch...you messed up...big time..." Rivalz said before continuing onward to the Student Council room, leaving Lelouch to think over what course of action he should take. He could follow her. He could leave her. He could notify her brother. But he didn't know what to do. He didn't know how'd she react. And if anything, he felt as if his efforts would be futile no matter what.

* * *

******Omotesandō Mall, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Tuesday, October 3rd****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

Kallen Kozuki was walking along the mall which was busy as usual and despite the happiness that was being spread around, she felt nothing, but sorrow. For some reason, Lelouch's words had really hit a soft spot. But she didn't understand why. Why did it affect her so badly? Why would she take something like this so seriously?

Kallen was confused. She knew she liked Lelouch, but she didn't think it was to this extent. Maybe she fell harder for him than she had previously thought. Now she didn't know what to do. Going back to school wasn't an option. But what about her Student Council duties? And she couldn't avoid class forever either. Things were definitely going bad for her today.

"Would you look at this." said a voice that Kallen recognized, but only faintly. Standing before her was a male with orange locks and sharp orange eyes with a small mole at the edge of his left eye. He was wearing a white buttoned up shirt that was kept in place by a black tie. He also wore a red jacket that had black long sleeves. He also had white trousers and black shoes similar to that of the male Ashford Academy uniform.

"Have we met before?" Kallen asked since she had a slight feeling of deja vu.

"We have, just not in person. You might know me as the _WhiteFlame_." Orpheus Zevon said as he revealed his identity as Kallen's toughest rival in the _Knightmare Battle!_ game.

"Oh yeah. I remember now. We fought on the first day of the game's release. You were pretty good in that Glasgow. Didn't I hear about you in the news recently? Didn't you help defeat the Wings of Tallyrand which hacked _Project Knightmare_?" Kallen asked as she recalled the news report which went around the web last night.

"Yeah, that's true. It's nice to meet you, _CrimsonLotus_. But, what are you doing out here? I thought school was in progress." Orpheus said as he looked at her uniform as he tried to think of what school she belonged to.

"It is. Shouldn't you be at school too though?" Kallen asked since he was contradicting himself.

"I guess you're right. Well, I came here to visit my girlfriend, Euria. She wasn't feeling well recently so I decided to visit her at her house. I was on my way back to school when I decided to pass through this mall and play at the arcade for a little bit." Orpheus admitted as he thought about the Oriental Arcade.

"I see. Well I just came here to get my mind off of things." Kallen said, not wanting to reveal too much about what was going on.

"Really? How about I take you to the Pizza hut over there? Maybe I can help you with your situation." Orpheus proposed since he didn't like seeing people down in the dumps, especially people he had a connection to, even if it was a small connection.

"I doubt it." Kallen answered coldly since she didn't believe anyone could solve her problem.

"Really? Well you'll never know unless you give me the chance. And besides, it'll be my treat." Orpheus proposed again, hoping she'd answer positively this time.

"F-Fine. But if you start annoying me about it, I'll kick your ass." Kallen threatened as she began walking to the small pizza restaurant.

"We'll see about that." Orpheus muttered to himself as he followed her lead.

* * *

**Pizza Hut,**** Omotesandō Mall, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Tuesday, October 3rd****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

After hearing out the entire situation from Kallen, which took a good thirty minutes since she had started from their childhood days, Orpheus now knew a little bit more about the Crimson Lotus and her personal life.

"I see. An interesting situation indeed. Well there's really only one thing you can do. You have to go back and confess to him." Orpheus stated as he ate the last bit of the steamy pizza slice.

"W-What? I can't! I'd be humiliated by him! Not only would Lelouch reject me, but he'd never let me live it down!" Kallen yelled out in retaliation since she refused to think that she'd confess and he'd accept and they'd become a happy couple like in the television dramas.

"You're only exaggerating. Him 'humiliating' you is nothing more than playful teasing. That means he likes making you embarrassed. If that's the case, he must have some sense of attraction toward you. And if you're still unsure about his acceptance, then pressure him. Ask him out in the middle of lunch or something. If you do that, he'll be forced to accept since rejecting you would make him look like the bad guy." Orpheus said as he remembered the one time he rejected such a request from a girl he knew in middle school. He was made the antagonist and bully for at least one month.

"But then it'll be a fake relationship. He won't mean it." Kallen retorted since she didn't want to have such a relationship with Lelouch.

"It'll be fake for a little bit. If you take advantage of the time you have, you can make him fall for you quickly. Not only that, but you have the advantage of being a girl. Your gender ca be used to steal his heart." Orpheus replied, skillfully knowing any and all responses to any arguments she may have.

"How do you know all this stuff? It's like you're the love guru or something." Kallen said in confusion since she didn't understand why he was so knowledgeable about this information.

"Most of it comes from my girlfriend. She thinks she is a genius so she gloats about this kind of stuff to me often. It helps since I can now easily comprehend how the female mind works." Orpheus answered as he recalled Euria's numerous rants about being a genius or a prodigy in the love scene.

"She must be very confident in her abilities." Kallen said since she herself lacked the confidence to ask a boy out.

"Only in love and relationships. Aside from that she's not confident in cooking, cleaning, or anything else for that matter. But I think you might be confident in other areas of life. Probably the most in _Knightmare Battle!_." Orpheus stated as he moved the conversation to the game.

"I'm definitely confident in that aspect. The only person who's beaten me is Cornelia, the Administrator for _Project Knightmare_ and some guy called the _BlueWyvern_. Since the match with him, I haven't played the game at all." Kallen revealed, shocking Orpheus to his core as he remembered that name. The same person he fought against and with was the guy who defeated the _CrimsonLotus_.

"I see. Well then, how about I change that?" Orpheus asked, hoping to provoke Kallen into a fight.

"What are you trying to say?" Kallen asked as she put her drink down and gave off a menacing look.

"I want you and me to fight one on one. We can have a duel this weekend since I'm busy on catching up on my schoolwork until then. So, how about it? A rematch to see if you are any better than I am." Orpheus stated as he recalled his first battle which was also against Kallen. He lost to her then and he was pretty evenly matched with the _BlueWyvern_. That must have meant that he was improving at some rate.

"Alright then. You and me, one on one. Here, at the Oriental Arcade. I'll show you that I'm still better than you are." Kallen said confidently as she stood up from the small table they were sitting at.

"Where're you going now?" Orpheus asked as he watched her walk to the front door.

"I'm going back to class. You should go back too. I'll see you this Saturday!" Kallen yelled out with a wave and a smile before leaving the restaurant in high spirits.

Orpheus only returned the wave and chuckled to himself as the hype for his upcoming match began to build up.

"Oh man, this is gonna be fun."

* * *

******Ashford Academy, **Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan

******Tuesday, October 3rd****, 2017 a.t.b. (Ascension Throne** **Britannia)**

It was already lunch and Lelouch was standing on the roof of the school once again, relaxing as a cool breeze went through his hair. However, despite his relaxed composure, he was in a state of confusion. After all, he had said something that hurt Kallen's feelings. And not only that, but he felt as if he didn't truly believe his own words either. Especially since he was someone who cried during her injury. Lelouch could remember that day as clearly as he could see the sky.

He remembered his first meeting with the Crimson Lotus as well as the day she was electrocuted and the kiss she gave him. He knew full well that Kallen had a crush or something like it on him. And that wasn't all. He felt that deep down he had some form of attraction toward the girl. But was he capable of entrusting his inner emotions and try and ask Kallen to be his girlfriend?

Something along those lines was out of Lelouch's character. He usually kept people at a distance, unless they truly meant something to him and so far the only people he had truly trusted and depended on were Suzaku and Nunnally. However, Kallen was able to break that boundary.

"Jeez...what do I do...I've never been in such a complicated situation before..." Lelouch muttered to himself as he sighed before turning around to leave the roof since it was almost time for classes to begin. However, standing before him was Kallen. This time, instead of standing with a shocked face, she stood confidently before Lelouch with determination in her eyes as she looked on at her goal.

"Lelouch..." Kallen said as the wind began to pick up between them.

"Kallen..." Lelouch said right after as he began to think over various ways to get out of this predicament. There was nothing, but a silence between them. However, it wasn't awkward like Lelouch had expected. In fact, it felt more like an atmosphere of anticipation. Like he was hoping for something to happen. For some special event. Finally, after what seemed to be a lifetime of silence as they stared at one another, Lelouch spoke up.

"I'm sorry for what I said this morning. I didn't mean it. In fact, I don't even know why those words came out of my mouth." Lelouch said which made Kallen's confident expression bright up just a bit more.

"Then, does that mean that, you aren't focused on just your sister and school?" Kallen asked as she remembered his words clearly. It wasn't like he said he hated Kallen or anything. All he said was that he wasn't interested in becoming her boyfriend. But since now Lelouch regretted saying those words, it must've meant that he felt something.

"I guess it does. I don't know why, but ever since you and I have interacted with one another, I feel as if...as if you are more than just a friend to me. Not a best friend or a sister either...I feel like...like I'm drawn to you." Lelouch began explaining as he began thinking over how corny his words sounded.

"I see. It seems we share these emotions for one another." Kallen replied, making Lelouch look a bit surprised since he didn't expect her to flat out say that they liked one another.

"Yeah...so...Kallen Kouzuki. I have an offer for you. Will you, if you're interested, become my girlfriend?" Lelouch asked as he was slightly embarrassed to be asking such a question. It wasn't his style and he's never done it before. Now Lelouch knew why girls had acted so nervous around him at times back in the past. They felt an emotional attraction to him and revealing these feelings was difficult for them, just as it was for him right now.

"I gladly accept." Kallen answered with a smile making Lelouch smile in return. He was happy now. Surprisingly, Lelouch felt like tons and tons of weight had flown off of his chest.

But before he could respond to her acceptance, the sound of a loud crashing could be heard behind Kallen as numerous students, including the Student Council, lay in a pile that appeared to continue from the door that led to the roof.

Lelouch looked at his numerous friends and acquaintances in disappointment and in shame since his very private moment was now going to be the topic of gossip for at least the next two weeks. And that wasn't all. It seemed as though Kallen wasn't fazed by it, so Lelouch felt like this was more of a trap than anything.

"So, you had a backup plan to antagonize me just in case I rejected you..." Lelouch muttered to himself in hatred as he clenched his fist in anger since Kallen had just pulled a genius strategy upon him without him knowing. However, he let go of that little moment of anger and he decided it'd be best to start his relationship without any fights.

"It seems that I got more than just a fierce fighter." Lelouch thought as he chuckled at the sight of the numerous Ashford students trying to act like they happened to stumble upon the scene by accident. But Lelouch didn't care for that as he stood side by side with his new companion as their hands held one another.

* * *

**Ragnarok Division, Infiniti Tower, Tokyo Settlement, United States of Japan**

**Tuesday, October 3rd, 2017 a.t.b (Ascension Throne Britannia)**

Deep within the lowest parts of the Infiniti Tower which reached far below into the ground, beneath the underground garage that was used as the company's parking lot, was a secret section of the tower which was used for the most secret of projects. And this area was called the, Ragnarok Division, in remembrance of the Ragnarok Project that had secretly been destroyed years ago.

Standing in the middle of a dark room which was illuminated by azure lights that came from the floor, was Zero who was wearing nothing more than a simple pilot's uniform that was used for the _Knightmare Battle!_ game. He sat inside of a reclined seat which had a head rest included. As Zero lay in the seat, getting comfortable, the Developer, Lloyd Asplund was typing furiously into a computer which was connected to the seat and to numerous amounts of machinery.

Inside of the room was also Jeremiah Gottwald, the original tester for this project, as well as Schneizel Eleria. Despite having a large amount of trust for others within the company, these two were the only people he could truly trust with this sort of information since they were involved with Project Ragnarok in some way.

As Lloyd completed the process which was necessary for the start up of the program they were using, Zero began thinking about what would lie ahead of him. What would be waiting for him. And more importantly, who he was looking for.

"Preparations complete. Ragnarok Connection, beginning, now." Lloyd stated as he pressed the enter button which began the initialization of the Ragnarok Program. As the data was sent into the program the connection was established with Zero's brain via the numerous amounts of wires that lead to the seat. Inside of the seat he lay in were sensors which were able to send special waves into the human mind to achieve perfect equilibrium. That meant the program was connected to his cerebrum and that gave him the ability to navigate the several data clusters that appeared within the Ragnarok Drive. The Ragnarok Drive was a special piece of machinery which Zero had saved from the Kamine Island Facility back in 2010 a.t.b.

The importance of this hard drive was the fact that the consciousness of his wife, Caroline Lamperouge, lay within this machine and he had to access it in order to free her from the data prison. And just as his wife did seven years ago, Zero had entered the world that lay within the Ragnarok Drive.

After traveling through a long tunnel of what appeared to be several various forms of veins or wires which were mainly colored blue and white, Zero arrived in the world he had been protecting for such a long time. He finally appeared within a world where there was nothing, but the sky and a mythical platform of amazing grace. And high above him was the planet of Jupiter, the King of the Roman Gods.

Zero looked on at the amazing sight and he turned around only to see what appeared to be a quick vanishing form of a woman with green hair. As he walked toward where the ghost like being once stood, he saw a small podium which appeared to have an orb on it. Zero placed his hand above it and a light consumed his body. Without a moment's notice, Zero disappeared and reappeared in a different area.

He looked around him and saw he was standing in what appeared to be a garden of sorts with grass all around him and the faint image of Jupiter, high in the blue sky. Zero continued scanning the area and quickly found someone else with him.

A young girl who had short silver hair and dark purple pupils. She was wearing what appeared to be knee high black boots, black gloves, a black dress with a red long sleeved shirt underneath it and finally a symbol on her forehead of a red crane like sigil.

"Who are you?" Zero asked as he looked at her in confusion. His black hair slowly waved as the wind moved through the garden they stood in. The girl looked at him and smiled as she replied, "My name is Mao."

* * *

**So how was it? Good or bad? I liked the way it came out. I like the fact that the fates of our characters continue intertwining, such as Orpheus meeting Kallen twice, and then Orpheus fighting Akito, and Akito fighting Kallen. If you are confused, re-read some chapters. Anyway as for the last bit. I felt that some progress regarding Zero and his K-Plan had to be done. So just so you know, the imagery I had gotten for the whole Ragnarok Division was in the Marvel film, _The Avengers_ or _Avengers Assemble_. I thought of the scene when Loki appeared in the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility early in the film. The dark room, the character being set in the middle. It was a really cool idea in my mind. Anyway, as for him going into the hard drive. The Ragnarok Connection is the establishment of a connection between the human brain and machinery. But because of the Kamine Incident, C.C. or Caroline, had gotten trapped within the hard drive, now identified as the Ragnarok Drive.**

**As for the character Mao, it is indeed the Mao from Nightmare of Nunnally and not Mao from the anime. The reason why is because I have no place for the insane chainsaw Mao who listens to his crush's voice. As for Mao from the manga, I have a perfect spot for her and it'll work out in time. Anyway, thanks for reading and please leave a review and let me know what you think so far. Thanks and look forward to the next chapter!**


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